Caffeinated Feelings
by DualSoul H99
Summary: In a world devoid of the concept of magical girls, Akemi Homura stumbles into a cafe on a rainy day... A cafe run by a certain pink haired girl. Expect fluff... [The story takes place 3 years after the time mentioned in the original storyline.] . (NoMagic-AU, KyoSaya, MadoHomu)
1. Of Coffee and Cupcakes

**-(Disclaimer: This goes for all the chapters, if any more, and their contents. Any character, material, company, or anything I write about, are not owned by me. I own only the story, and its plot. Nothing else.)-**

 **...**

 **(A.N.: A.U. as the description says. This is a parallel universe where the girls never came into contact with Kyuubei. And also some time passed, so they are in high school. The out of character is almost canon, altered only to fit the plot.)**

 **...**

 **[Chapter 1: Of Coffee and Cupcakes]**

The girl with the pitch black hair was surprised that no rain had touched her.

The rain fell heavily, obscuring her vision, and hiding everything behind a misty white veil. The occational gust that blew past her seemed like white scarves. Her cheeks were cold, and she walked slowly, only to stop for a moment to observe her surroundings.

She squinted, through her glasses, and saw a small house. Nothing else seemed visible then. So taking no more time, she rushed to that place, hoping to find a place to find shelter in.

Every step she took reminded her that the people in that house cannot possibly let a stranger take shelter in their house, much less a clumsy little girl. She was being pessimistic, she told herself, as she shook the bad thoughts away and walked ahead.

The sight of the house seemed clearer now, but to her dismay, it appeared to be a cafe, with brick-red decals on its somewhat large windows. She looked around. The rain seemed to only increase in its intensity, and at that moment, she knew she had no choice. Sighing in disappointment, she folded her umbrella, and took a step in that unknown cafe.

The sound of the rain in the streets seemed muffled as soon as she shut the door behind her and put the umbrella on the coat hanger. 'For a cafe, this place seems like someone's home', she doubted, for a moment, but noticed that a bell hung by the door. The small bell was still trembling, paying testament to the arrival of the raven haired girl.

The girl in question looked around, and she felt immediately at home.

The cafe had a western setting, with two sofas facing eachother at every table by the windows, and there was a counter right next to that. Behind the counter, there were many shelves built into the walls, housing different blends of coffee, tea and other things she couldn't see.

The most interesting part about the place was, however, the atmosphere. There was this dark orange hue spread across the cafe, which eminated from hanging orbs from the ceiling at different heights. Most of the lights were switched off. So she wondered what the place would have looked like had all of them been turned on. Still, the atmospheric ambience was soothing, and the muffled sound of rain from outside the cafe seemed to add to it. She felt...warm.

Taking no more time to loiter, the girl took a seat. She had a window to her left, somewhere with moderate lights. The glass beside her were tinted, so little light from outside came in. She felt like this isolation from the world was all she had craved for.

This morning, her parents left for an important task somewhere, and left her a note with some breakfast. They wouldn't be arriving till evening. So she didn't feel like she should call home. Soon after, her life's thoughts caught up with her.

After school had ended, she felt empty, like always. She had a good book, which she had recently finished, so she had nothing else to occupy her life at the time being. Her calm demeanor, hair tied to two neat braids, and her glasses gave her the appearance of someone who did little else except reading books (which was actually true, despite her denial).

Achieving the best scores on the tests, and being bad at sports, she had close to nobody to talk to. So she took the earliest train home, with nobody to go with her.

But when the train was mid way to her locality, it started pouring. She felt cozy in her seat, the sound of the rain calming her down so much, that she dozed off.

And she woke up an hour later, disoriented and confused. She noticed that she should have reached her destination about half an hour ago, and had no idea where the train now was. It would take a lot more time for the train to round back into her locality, so she got down at the next station. The rain was still ongoing, she noticed, as she got her umbrella out and continued down the street, looking for shelter.

And that brings her to the present.

"Oh, I messed up pretty bad today...", she mumbled and groaned meekly as she put her head down into her folded arms on the table.

"Really?", a new, girly voice interrupted her groaning session, "What did you do?". The owner of that voice seemed quite curious, and there was some humor embedded into it.

The girl with dark hair lifted her head up, with slight embarassment, and looked at her right. What she saw made her sit up staight, as her thoughts came to a screeching halt.

There stood a girl with pink hair, tied up to a short ponytail. She wore a blue shirt, with folded sleeves going up to her elbows, a pair of white shorts, and striped stockings covering her legs. Over all that, she wore a green apron, that hugged her slender form at the waist. On her apron there was a nametag that had something written in simple english letters.

"Kaname Madoka."

But the girl with raven hair seemed to be fixated at one thing. Her eyes. A mysterious shade of pink, and full of brightness, as opposed to the dull gray of her own.

"U-um...", the new girl, Madoka said, slightly flustered. "I'm sorry I asked such a weird question!", she added, hands waving to show apology.

That is when the other girl broke out of her thoughts and noticed she was staring too long. "I-its fine...", She seemed even more flustered, "I-I fell asleep on the train and missed my stop. It was raining, so I came here…" She was embarassed of making her first impression seem like an utter mess. "I am sorry to intrude. It seeems like the cafe is closed."

Hanging her head low in embarassment, and apology, she waited for a reply. She could feel her ears burning.

But no reply came.

So she looked at the girl again.

The pink haired one had her head tilted slightly, lips forming a subtle, and small 'o', as she stared at her, seemingly confused. But after some moments, realization struck.

"Oh, no. Don't be. Our last customer left just before the rain. Father asked me to close up the shop if there were no customers." She looked out of the window. "Doesn't look like anyone would come here in this rain" She sighed before gleaming up. "But, you're here! I can keep the shop open just a while longer."

"Oh… I see", the black haired girl responded in understanding. "C-could I please...have some coffee?", she said, her fingers fiddling.

"Sure! Coming right up."

And with that the pink haired girl went to another room, humming an obscure tune.

There were more than a hundred thoughts clouding up the mind of the dark haired one. But she chose to shove those thoughts to the back of her head because she knew they wouldn't have any answers. So shutting her conscious mind down for a temporary period of time, she gazed out of the window to her left and let herself get lost in the sights and sounds of the ever so peaceful heavy rain.

But a few minutes later, her trance was broken, and curiosity rose in her grey eyes, as the moisture in the air heightened her sense of smell. The scent of fresh coffee beans reached her nose, and she had goosebumps in moments. The suspense for the coffee was killing her by now.

Then came Madoka, her ponitail waving slightly as she walked towards the table, her hands grasping a tray on which sat two decorated cups of cofee, and another plate having two cupcakes. Madoka set the tray down, and sat opposite the girl at the table. The two sat facing eachother, the aroma of the caffeinated beverage surrounding them like a lingering memory.

"I hope I am not intruding or anything", Madoka spoke in an apologetic tone. "I just wanted to chat."

"Oh no, its fine...", The other girl said, a little embarrassed that she was being apologized to. "I have nothing to do, so its okay."

Madoka smiled at her reply.

"I'm Kaname Madoka. Its nice to meet you", she chirped and held out her hand with a friendly smile.

The other girl's mind raced. She had never had friends. This interaction was new to her. The manga she had read throughout her life showed her that these moments were very significant in a person's life. But she never thought she'd see this day.

The experience of the bookworm, attained from countless comics, urged her to forge that bond.

"I...", the dark haired one gulped down her hesitation. "I'm Akemi Homura...", Her face took on a light shade of red.

She looked up to see Madoka's eyes were closed; she was smiling, her hand held out for Homura.

Taking another gulp, and strengthening her heart, she forged her first friendship with the apron-clad maiden.

"Its... n-nice to meet you too...", Her hands trembled slightly as she took Madoka's hand in her own, shaking it. To others, it might seem like a common social gesture. But to the young, inexperienced Homura, it meant the world.

Words couldn't define the happiness she had felt at that time, making her first friend.

Homura's world started to seem different.

The rain outside continued as it was, and nothing in the environment changed. Madoka remained smiling as she was. But Homura felt herself shaking with bliss.

For the first time in her life, her dull eyes shone with pure, unadulterated happiness.

 **-(End of Chapter 1)-**

 _Let me know what you think. Tell me of my strengths, or weaknesses, criticise me as you please. But if you like it, please let me know. I will continue only if you would like more._

.

Stay safe,

DSH99


	2. Of Being Untouched

**(A.N.: Thank you for the positive feedback! I will continue the story as promised. I hope you guys enjoy this ride to the end with me. Cheers!)**

 **...**

 **[Chapter 2: Of Being Untouched]**

"...Thats a pretty unique name you got."

They say Karma is how the world works. Do good, and good things happen. Do bad, and you get a taste of your own medicine.

Did Homura believe that?

Yes. Yes she did. But her feelings were apathetic. She never invested herself in the thought.

But the warmth of Madoka's hand in hers and the sight of the apron clad girl smiling at her made her think about the strangest thing.

Karma.

In her life, she was alone. She lived in an isolated bubble with her parents, and that was it. No Karaoke after school, no going to the departmental store to buy snacks for friends, no love triangle angst, nothing. She had repelled herself from the crowds, without making an effort. She was invisible. Clumsy, and struggled at normal conversations, but stable.

Had she tipped the scales? Had the balance shifted finally, to favor her?

Did karma bring Madoka to her life of no color?

Homura believed so.

Breaking out of her trance after what seemed like hours, she noticed she wasn't holding Madoka's hand anymore. But the phantom feeling remained.

"Is that a school uniform?" Madoka asked, cheerful as she was all along, eyeing Homura's simple black and white uniform. "Where do you study?"

"...A c-catholic all girl's school. Its nothing fancy." Homura said, uncertain as ever.

"Wow. A catholic schoolgirl!" Madoka chirped. "I go to a co-ed school, though. In the city."

The place was rural, Homura noticed as she looked out the window. Now that the rain slowed down a bit, she could observe her surroundings. There were cobblestones that lead upto the café entrance, and the roads were a glossy black. There were little to no buildings nearby aside from some closed shops.

"Do you have clubs at your school?" Homura asked, her eyes still outside. Her conscious mind then caught up with her subconscious one, making her feel a deep sense of regret over the question she asked.

"Ummm, there are a lot of clubs, but I am not in any." Madoka chuckled nervously. "I don't have any hobbies...I enjoy the small talks with friends, though. I think that is all I can handle." She giggled.

Homura felt happy, that she wasn't taken the wrong way. But the sense of fear still remained.

How could she not? 'This is uncharted lands!', her mind screamed.

"It sounds like you are happy." Homura said, in the calmest voice she could muster. "So it doesn't matter if you don't have hobbies."

Madoka was surprised at how forward Homura was being. Or trying to be. She was also happy.

"I suppose so." Madoka smiled.

"I don't have clubs at my school." Homura said, sadness welling up in her eyes.

"You do have fun with friends, right?" Madoka asked, trying to sprinkle some optimistic thoughts onto her.

Homura didn't reply. Her sadness didn't leave her. After a moment of hesitation, she shook her head swiftly.

Madoka grew a little concerned. But she had a good intuition. She pieced together the pieces she had collected, and figured out that either Homura was not used to making friends, or is not apprached by people in her class.

Either way, she knew the matter was sensitive, and didn't pursue the topic.

"Oh, what about family?"

Homura's face now was stoic, a significant improvement from her forlorn expression.

"My father is a teacher of a University." Homura said, as if she had the answers memorized from a book. "My mother works part time as a librarian."

Madoka smiled. It wasn't the answer she expected, but at least Homura was comfortable now.

"My mom is a businesswoman." Madoka said, smiling. "My dad stays at home, and manages the café. We opened up a few years ago, after my brother started to go to school."

Homura's shoulders went from a visible rigid to an uncertain fidget.

"That is nice."

Madoka was surprised. Was Homura finally able to come out of her shell?

The rain slowed down. The skies began to clear up, letting the sun peek through in all its glory, the time just before sunset.

A spark in the pink haired one ignited a peculiar thought.

'She's adorable. Like a shy little girl!', Madoka thought to herself. When her conscious mind took notice of this, she grew embarrassed. 'Shame on you, Madoka! You're not supposed to think like that', she rebuked internally.

But her thoughts were interrupted by what she saw.

Homura stared out the window, and she noticed rays of lavender light shine through her jet black hair, casting thin streaks of shadows on her face. Her grey eyes were blank, devoid of any emotion, but the sunlight that came from outside seemed to detail every part of her irises.

Sharp grey.

Madoka gasped, quietly and subconsciously observing the bespectacled maiden in front of her. Why, she didn't know. Her mind didn't bother to question her action.

Suddenly, Homura broke out of her trance. She looked at Madoka, blinked, and then frowned through her glasses.

Madoka was spellcast. She just stared at Homura, her mouth opened lazily, forming an 'o'. Madoka wondered what Homura was thinking in her trance. She also wondered why she had broken out of it.

Homura's face brightened in a shade of red, her ears were burning in embarrassment. She fumbled around in her dress pockets, and clumped up all she could get her fist on. Then she let the contents of her hand rest on the table. Some loose cash and two coins.

Homura, still as red as as a tomato, took the stylish cup of coffee, which was lukewarm by now, and chugged it down with her eyes closed. Immediately after finishing the caffeinated beverage, she stared down at the floor, and said, "Thank you for your hospitality!"

Bowing rigidly, and making sure she took her schoolbag with her, Homura bolted through the front door, like a deer who had caught sight of a lioness.

...Leaving the pink haired waitress in her wake.

The sound of the bell ringing and the door shutting brought Madoka back into reality. She sat there, dumbfounded.

Through the window to her right, she saw Homura run down the wet black street that now refected the lavender glow of the sunset. Her vigor in running could only be compared to that of an Olympian.

However, as soon as her mind was done processing the information, she realized that the event that had unfolded in front of her made absolutely no sense.

Her eyes glazed over the table she was sitting at, to notice the empty cup of coffee and more than 500 yen in crumpled notes and stray coins which Homura had left behind.

She then looked at her own cup of coffee. A final wisp of steam blew past her nose, as she took a sip.

Madoka frowned. Sheasked herself, bewildered and a bit taken aback by Homura's rushed, yet strange escape,

"Wait, what just happened?"

The strawberry flavored cupcakes Madoka had made earlier that day, were quite delicious. She wanted to share some with the mysterious girl...

But to her dismay, the two cupcakes she had brought, lay untouched at the table.

 **-(End of chapter 2)-**

 _I have plans for this, that you are going to like. Hehe._

 _Also, I will update the story's cover image. The link for the artist is in my bio and below. Check their work out, its amazing! Its NSFW, so kids... stay out!) ...I am going to be a terrible parent, aren't I?)_

 _Artist name is caffeccino._

 _Page: ..tumblr..com_

 _Again guys, thank you. Feedback is always welcome._

 _._

 _Stay safe,_

 _DSH99_


	3. Of Grayscale Normalcy

**(A.N.: Sorry for the late update. I was a little sick. But I'm okay now. Seasonal allergies suck.)**

 **...**

 **[Chapter 3: Of Grayscale Normalcy]**

"Hey, Kyoko." The girl with short and faded blue hair said to the girl next to her. She pointed her finger at the screen she was looking at. "Take a look at this."

Kyoko, the girl in question, tucked a strand of her long red hair behind her ear to catch a clear view of the contents of the screen.

"I know Sayaka", Kyoko said, her eyes glued to the screen. "I am looking."  
After minutes of the duo quietly huddling in front of the screen, and the occasional "I can't see. Move your head over", Kyoko was the first to burst out in a fit of giggles. Seeing this, Sayaka did not see reason to hold back.

She joined in as well.

Meanwhile, Madoka stood there, her arms crossed. Seeing her two friends giggle uncontrollably, she sighed.

It has been almost a day since the time Homura left the café. But as she left the place in a hurry, she forgot to take her umbrella with her.

Madoka's eyes rested on the simple, yet stylish matte purple umbrella, which was still resting on the coat hanger, where Homura had left it. It was an untouched memento, hanging by its strap.

Madoka was a good hearted person. She wanted to take the umbrella and deliver it to Homura's hands, to make sure she got it. But there was a slight problem.

She had no way to contact Homura, much less meet her in person.

She wracked her brain all night, and tried to find a solution. Something told Madoka that the black haired schoolgirl was too embarrassed to come to the café again.

The morning after, she went to school like every other day. But in the middle of class, she stood up in a moment of enlightenment.

"That's it!", She yelled, jumping out of her seat. Briefly afterwards, her mind registered that she had been getting weird glances from everyone around her. Her teacher, Kazuko-sensei, took off her glasses and pinched her temple, before she asked Madoka to take her seat.

Needless to say, the pink haired maiden was very embarrassed. She rebuked her subconscious mind for betraying her. She shook it off, and took a seat.

Her idea was simple: invite Kyoko and Sayaka over to the café, go over that day's security footage, and ask if they know which Catholic school Homura went to, after observing her uniform.

Madoka had giggled at the brilliance of her plan, but most of the reason of her joy was meeting Homura again.

She came back to reality, however, and realized that perhaps...just perhaps bringing her friends over was a mistake. Madoka looked back at her friends, and sighed again.

"Guys?"

Kyoko was almost done laughing, clutching her stomach with one hand and brushing a stray tear fron her eye with the other, she let her laughter fade for her friend's sake.

"Sorry, Meduka", Kyoko mispronounced her name, but didn't notice it due the aftershock of the giggles. Madoka ignored it. "But its all so strange! Did you see how she ran?"

Madoka frowned.

"Yes, of course" She said, deadpanning. "I was there..."

Noticing Madoka's apparent frustration, Sayaka took this moment to speak up.

"Its that fancy Catholic school that I see on my way back from school everyday. I don't know what its called, but I recognize the uniform." The blue haired girl said, rubbing a leftover tear from the corner of her eye. "Your house is the other way, so you have to take a detour."

"Do you want us to come with?" Kyoko was regaining her ability to speak coherently. Madoka took a moment to think, but shook her head.

"No, you guys." She smiled. "Its better if I go alone. She might freak out if she saw you two."

Kyoko and Sayaka exchanged glances, but chose to stand by Madoka's decision.

"I'm just glad we could help." Sayaka said. Kyoko grinned.

Madoka's heart shone with a glimmer of hope.

* * *

It was almost evening, and the sun was about to sleep for the day. Madoka was dressed in a casual t-shirt and jeans that were cut right below her knees. She wore the white apron she did when she served customers, as she held in one hand her cell phone, and in the other, Homura's purple umbrella, which remained closed, as how she had left it at the café.

Madoka's eyes were adorned in a frown. A few moments earlier, she got off the train. Apparently, Sayaka forgot to text her the address of that Catholic school. When Madoka was almost at her school, which was a ten minute walk away from her house, she phoned Sayaka and asked her about the location of that school.

"Ummm" Sayaka sounded worried, like how a child did when asked where all the candy went. Madoka took notice of this.

"Sayaka." The pink haired girl insisted. "Tell me."

"...You have to take... a train there?" Sayaka said with added pauses. "Hey, I didn't know you would walk to the school!"

Madoka was frustrated. But she sighed heavily, and just asked Sayaka to text her the location before saying goodbye.

She cursed herself for wearing an apron. She thought it would be a short trip. The fact that she had wooden sandals didn't help either.

So she took a train and got off at the appropriate spot, checking her phone occasionally to make sure she wasn't late. The school was supposed to close soon. Apparently, her own school ended hours ago, but Catholic schools remain open till sunset.

The sound of church bells going off informed Madoka that the school was close. Homura's school. Clasping the purple umbrella, her only link to the black haired maiden, she ran towards the direction from where the bell's ringing originated.

Madoka wasn't good at sports. She was average, at best. So by the time she reached the entrance to Homura's school, she was out of breath.

* * *

Homura tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and tried her best to focus on the lesson in class. But to her dismay, she couldn't. The thoughts of the day at the café invaded her thoughts, like water through newspaper.

That rainy day, that smell of raw coffees beans, the afterglow of the sunset, the memory of the pink haired godes- ...girl.

It all came flooding back. But she didn't express it. It was only the last day, and her happiness was beyond measure. She was not accustomed to events like these. So colorful.

It was all grey before. So a small streak of color in that day was all she could focus on.

The bell rang. Her school hours were over. The resonating vibration broke her trance, and she was back to reality. She realized that her school day seemed short, as she was invested in her thoughts for the entire length of it.

Packing her books, she straightened her glasses, and looked at her classmates. All of them had their own friend circles. Some were talking about the upcoming exams, some were talking about story books, some about music, and some were the incoherent noise of murmurs in the background. This was a sight she endured everyday.

Because she had none to talk to. It had reached the point where she took it as granted. Her normal. But today, she felt a sense of pain when she saw them.

Seeing how freely they were interacting with each other, she couldn't help but feel regret creeping up her stomach. When the rain had stopped that day, the first thought that came to Homura's mind was that she went inside the café, even though it was closed. She thought Madoka was being hospitable, out of formality.

She didn't think Madoka was bad. Heavens, no! Its just that, she didn't want herself to be a burden on her.

But the regret she was feeling now, reminded her that maybe running away without warning might have been the wrong course of action. She even left her beloved umbrella there! She cursed her cold feet.

Long story short, it was an awful sensation.

Sighing audibly, she took her bag upon her shoulder, and left the class.

The doors and entrances were very high. The sight of the ceiling would make one feel a sense of dizziness. Homura's school was an old one. It had seen a lot of history, one could assume. The carved stone pillars that held up the church like institution, gave an aura of grandeur to it.

Homura walked, and as she neared the school gates, she chanted to herself, "At least she'll never see you again."

But all thoughts came to a screeching halt, and her eyes widened. She took a sharp breath, and her legs turned to stone.

There she saw, in the light of the sunset, a pink haired, apron clad maiden. In her hand was a matte purple umbrella, grasped tightly. She was panting, out of breath. Her eyebrows had a few phantom drops of sweat, that glistened in the twilight. And her eyes locked straight onto Homura's. She was a few meters away, but Homura could hear her words as clear as ever.

"You run pretty fast..."

Homura knew it.

Her grayscale world was no more.

 **-(End of Chapter 3)-**

 _Thanks guys. You are the only reason I felt motivated throughout my sickness. I really want this story to be able to reach the point I planned towards. I didn't proofread this chapter. So you might find flaws in it. Point them out, of you can, okay? I was so eager to write after my recovery, that I couldn't afford time to proofread! Hope you'd forgive me for that one. Your reviews and thoughts are always welcome. Love you all for your support._

 _Take care,_

 _DSH99_


	4. Of Hateful Purrs

**(A.N.: Sorry for the delay. I already had the chapter done, but couldn't upload, for crappy wifi. Am almost done with the next one!)**

 **...**

 **[Chapter 4: Of Hateful Purrs]**

"I'm sorry that I sort of tracked you down and all."

Homura's mind froze. She was a person who had little idea about how society functioned.

The meaning of 'tracking people down' and what it hinted towards escaped her mind. Maybe Homura did have a thought, of having a potential stalker. But the idea was rejected by her mind, partially because nobody would want to stalk someone like Homura, but mostly because of Madoka being so nice a person.

"Its okay!" Homura waved her arms, as her eyes widened even more. "Its nice of you to bring my umbrella back... You really went through that much trouble for me?"

Madoka looked at her hand. Her fingers clasped the umbrella as tight as she could, whitening her knuckles. She was still out of breath, panting slightly. She looked at Homura and extended the purple object towards the bespectacled girl.

Homura took the umbrella from Madoka's hand, and mumbled a very polite "Thank you."

"Oh, you don't have to do that" Madoka said, a little flustered. "I agree, it was unlike me to do something so drastic without thinking. But I kind of thought we were friends already."

Homura's stomach was now not filled with regret. But with an emotion she had never felt before. Too bad her mind couldn't keep up.

"What?"

Madoka sighed. "Homura-chan. I would like to be your friend." She said outright, with proper pauses. "I want to get to know you better... If thats okay..."

"But you went through so much trouble to give this back to me..." Homura pondered, looking at her umbrella. "How did you even find me?"

Madoka snapped back to her usual self. She was now fully aware how far she had went. She practically tracked Homura down like a stalker, she thought.

But no, she was blinded by her own altruistic midset. Giving the lost property of another was all she had in mind...

...Right?

"I recognized your uniform?" Madoka knew that her words and her actions were rather forceful. And she wondered if she would have done the same for anyone else. It troubled herself, that she had gone this far.

Homura, being inexperienced as ever, didn't take note of this. She bought Madoka's reasoning, and nodded in understanding.

Her throat was parched. So she gulped now and then, trying to moisten it. Her mind was so occupied with the thought of Madoka that she had forgotten to bring water to school today.

The pink haired girl was hyper aware of her discomfort, so she took it upon herself to be of aid.

"Thirsty?" She tilted her head slightly, before chuckling lightly. "I'll buy you a drink, Homura-chan."

Homura was going to refuse her offer, even if she was certain that her mouth was practically sand at that point. Madoka has helped her enough. She felt guilty of taking advantage of Madoka's selfless actions. A girl like herself doesn't deserve this much kindness, she had thought.

But before she could open her mouth to say anything, Madoka spoke up.

"If you would let me walk you home, that is..."

Oh no! Homura did not like it one bit. The internal struggle that ensued in her consciousness, between humility and desire seemed to go on at a violent rate. She wasn't sure if her internal monologue reflected on her face or not, but at this point, she didn't care.

Desire won.

Her heartbeat echoed in her own ears, and she had never known it could beat that fast!

She had goosebumps all over her arms, a shiver ran down her spine at the very thought of walking home with a friend.

A friend. Madoka was her friend.

Fireworks went on inside her mind, her feet tickled slightly, her joy ran rampant.

Is this what fulfilment felt like?

She nodded, her pigtails waving. Madoka smiled as she saw Homura light up in a bundle of joy. It looked like the sheer joy child felt while opening up their first birthday present.

Seeing her that happy, however, made Madoka want to protect that joy. A shiver ran down her spine as well, some blood rushing to her cheeks.

'Wait. Am I blushing?', Madoka thought. 'I am not even embarrassed! Maybe I am coming down with a fever.'

Soon, lightly concerned Madoka, and a joyful Homura started side by side, towards the home of the latter.

After the promised drink, of course.

* * *

"Madoka's still not here," Sayaka said, a plastic straw held between her teeth, as she leaned her head back onto the bed, and looked up at the ceiling fan. She was sitting down on the floor, a glass table in front of her, where a glass of juice was halfway consumed. Another glass was also there, but the juice in it was long gone.

It was Madoka's room.

Kyoko turned the page of the manga she had in her hands, absent-mindedly kicking her raised up legs as she wriggled onto a more comfortable position. She was lying stomach down on Madoka's bed, and Sayaka was sitting to her left, by her legs.

"No shit, Sherlock," The red haired one said lazily. Sayaka deadpanned at her insult. "Its that Catholic schoolgirl. Maybe they're hanging out."

"Yeah..." Sayaka raised a hand up to the ceiling, rays of lights being blocked from her vision. It was evening, and was getting dark. The lights in the room were turned on.

"I wonder if they're having fun, though" Sayaka continued. "Maybe they are having the time of their lives, hanging out."

Kyoko hummed a response, she didn't pay them any concern. As long as she was comfy, and had food, Kyoko didn't care. Madoka was her close friend, but what she did in her free time, was not her duty to judge. As long as nothing dangerous was involved, that is.

Sayaka's guess, on the other hand, was not that far off.

* * *

"Oh no!" An olive haired girl screamed at a shrill voice. "Someone help me! This being is pure evil!"

Madoka looked at Hitomi, who was about to unleash a scream at the highest pitch known to mankind, and then at Homura, who was really worried about the event.

Oh God.  
...

Earlier, after buying Homura that drink, the two of them were on their merry way, when suddenly Madoka heard, and soon recognized to be, Hitomi cursing from a distance. She grew worried, and grabbed Homura's hand to reach there, and as soon as she did, she was greeted with an unpleasant sight.

A cat was making seething gestures to the green haired girl, who was adamant on petting it.

The cat was white, resembling a little kitten, and it was like a regular stray feline everyone was accustomed to seeing.

Apparently, Hitomi tried to pet it while it was sleeping, and now the kitten held nothing but hatred towards her. It scratched the hand of Hitomi, who, despite being hurt, tried her level best to pet it.

If the kitten was scared, it would have run off already.

It was in its eyes, Madoka could see. Pure hatred, pure anger.

What did Hitomi even do to inspire such wrath from such a tiny creature?

And now that Hitomi has provoked it, the kitten did something unexpected. It jumped and latched onto Hitomi's face, digging its frontal claws into her forehead, its hind legs latched onto her jaw, and its tail dangling.

Homura, on seeing this, threw her bag off her shoulders and screamed at the top of her lungs while running towards Hitomi.

"Hold on! I'll save you!"

Homura's voice shook with uncertain heroism, but Madoka didn't say anything about it.  
She raised an arm, and wanted to stop Homura from provoking the angered kitten any further.

But it was too late.

Soon, she was stuck in her spot, an audience to the spectacle that unfolded before her. A shy, bespectacled girl trying her best to pry a feline away from the face of a girl who was screaming tame obscenities, while the kitten looked contended, its face filled with sadistic satisfaction.

 **-(End of Chapter 4)-**

 _I am not sure whether I should portray Hitomi with evilness, or someone who is friendly. She's canon homophobic, as people say. I haven't decided that for myself._

 _In case anybody didn't get it, the white cat is a nod to Kyuubei. I'll insert lowkey references to the original storyline, and if you have a good eye and can catch them, send me a PM. Wink._

 _Feedback is always welcome as well._

 _Stay safe,_

 _DSH99_


	5. Of Familial Presence

**(A.N.: Life did a complete 180 degree on me a while back... Writing is my therapy.)**

 **...**

 **[Chapter 5: Of Familial Presence]**

After several long minutes of torture and trying to pry the kitten away from Hitomi's face, the girls finally triumphed. The little feline seemed rather disappointed,about losing its glorious throne. But nevertheless, it ran off into the distance, admitting defeat.

Madoka and Homura were a little tired from all the tugging, but not so much. Their sense of victory outweighed the lack of energy. Hitomi, on the other hand, did something strange.

She ran off, chasing the kitten.

Madoka was lost for words, so she merely sighed, giving up all hope of imparting some wisdom onto the green haired girl. Homura was rather confused, and she looked at Madoka, a silent question in the air.

Madoka just shook her head. "Just... Let her be." She sighed yet again, and upon hearing this, Homura was sure that she was missing some vital piece of the metaphorical puzzle.

But paying heed to Madoka's words, she let the green haired girl run off into the distance, who, apparently was yelling for the kitten to come back to her.

How odd.

She eyed Madoka, who smiled back at her.

"Lets go, shall we?"

It was Autumn, and leaves of various plants were flying in the wind. The breeze had a hint of winter, and the sky was a brilliant shade of orange.

The occasional light gust made Madoka's apron flutter, and Homura kept staring as they walked. Her eyes were full of uncertainty. She couldn't believe for the world of her, that the person walking by her, is actually her friend.

The thought brought shivers to her spine, and she felt like she was about to erupt with joy.

"So, where do you live, Homura-chan?"

Her trance was broken by Madoka's voice, as her mind took a few seconds to make a coherent thought.

"Umm, just a few blocks away from here... This path is narrow, so... its only accessible by foot." Homura said, with pauses here and there, picking her words carefully, being afraid to mess it up.

Madoka, on the other hand, took notice of this. She knew Homura was being cautious, as she had answered so formally to such a simple question.

"You live so close by, to your school," Madoka said, with a light chuckle. "But why do you take the train? ... Doesn't that take more time and effort?"

Homura felt a little embarrassed. She could feel every fiber of her being fidget with discomfort.

But she was determined in being honest.

"...I like to ride...trains."

Madoka giggled, and Homura's face reddened.

'Oh no. Why did you go and have to tell her that?', Homura told herself.

"Thats unusual," Madoka said, her eyes closed, as she chuckled. "But no need to be embarrassed. I happen to do strange things when it comes to food and cooking..." She paused. "This might be hard to believe, but I do know what you mean."

Madoka smiled at Homura,as they walked. The latter, felt her embarrassment slowly drifting away.

"We're here," Homura said. The girls stopped walking and looked at the house, which was located at the junction of two roads. It was a standard Japanese style house, with some Western designs mixed in. Homura was staring blankly at it, which Madoka noticed.

"All right then, Homura-chan." Madoka said, her pink eyes beaming with happiness. "I'll be leaving now."

Homura, upon hearing this, felt a pang of sadness in her chest. And she knew very well what was causing her to feel that.

Fear.

Fear of never meeting Madoka again.

She looked at the matte purple umbrella in her hand, and noticed that it was the only thing that had brought Madoka to her.

Now that it was in her hands, Madoka had no reason to come back to her.

It was a pessimistic thought, and Homura knew. But she couldn't deny the plausibility of it.

She noticed that her legs had subconsciously taken her to her front door, and Madoka was standing right there, with her, expecting a reply.

Gulping down her hesitations, she took a leap of faith.

She spoke, her voice full of spirit, her grey eyes shining with determination.

"...I would like to visit the cafe sometime..."

Madoka was astonished at the words Homura had uttered. And she also felt happy. Her stomach felt warm, and she could feel warmth rush to her cheeks.

Homura was looking straight at her, her usual dark and colorless eyes glistened with uncertainty, and emotion.

Madoka found herself being speechless, for a moment, in front of the bespectacled girl. Her lips rushed to find the words, and failed.

But she nodded in response. Which Homura had reacted to, with visible relief, and happiness.

Madoka noticed Homura's shoulders relaxing, her eyes losing all signs of uncertainty.

Before she could make things more awkward, Madoka bid farewell to the dark haired girl, smiling as she did so. Upon leaving, she felt a strange feeling in her stomach, as well as every inch of her skin.

A tingle.

It had lasted for a moment. But this time, she ignored it.

She was happy. Its been a while since she had felt this good.

* * *

Homura, from her doorstep, watched Madoka as she disappeared into the distance. Soon after, she was no longer within the dark haired girl's line of sight. And that is when Homura decided to finally go inside her house.

Shutting the door behind her after coming in, she opened her shoes at the doorway, kept the umbrella at the and with her bag in her hand, yelled out a not-so-loud "I'm home", before rushing upstairs to her room.

Immediately after entering, she quietly shut the door to her room and threw herself onto her bed, burying her face in the pillow.

She was shaking. Overwhelmed. Her breaths came out in trembling gasps. Warmth surrounded her.

She wasn't thinking about anything. The buzz of pure emotion she felt, didn't leave room in her mind to process any conscious thought.

"Homura, the water's warm. Your bath's ready!"

Homura took a moment to realize that the voice she heard, was her mother's. She let her subconsciousness take the wheel.

"I'll be there in a moment!" She said as loud as she could at the time, which was not much. But it was perhaps enough for her mother to hear.

She realized that her palms and skin felt clammy. Prying the kitten away from that green haired girl earlier must have made her sweat more than she thought it did.

Putting personal hygiene before laziness, the raven haired girl grabbed a towel and a change of clothes before going to take a well deserved bath.

Homura's mother, as soon as she heard her daughter close the bathroom door, frowned. It was not like her daughter to be such cheerful. It didn't worry her. But it did pique her interest. Maybe she'll tease her daughter into admitting? She shook the thought away from her mind quickly. She knew her daughter was sensitive. She'd have to ask very cautiously.

'I never saw her this happy...', the wise, raven haired women pondered, before smiling. 'I wouldn't ruin this one.'

 **-(End of Chapter 5)-**

* * *

 _As **CelticPhoenixProductions** pointed out, it would be an unwise decision to villainize Hitomi. I will find a way for her to fit into this narrative. It just alarms me when I see actually how many people are hell bent on marking the poor girl as bad. Not that I am defending her, but that hatred is undue. Everyone has their own way to function.  
Anyway, philosophical debates aside, I am happy to write again. I got into art again. Bit rusty, but I'll manage. If I get better at it, I'll open and maintain a tumblr, I guess._

 _Stay Safe  
DSH99_


	6. Of Divine Turkey

**(A.N.: As an apology for me keeping you all waiting for the fifth chapter, take the next chapter early. Does this make up for it? Hehe)**

 **...**

 **[Chapter 6: Of Divine Turkey]**

Homura stared into the water. Ripples scattered out through the surface and the shine of the fluorescent light bulb got distorted by each wave. The water was warm and cozy, in which, Homura could just forget her worries and feel her muscles relax.

Her precious bath time.

Her skin was surrounded completely by warm water, which not only enabled her to unwind after a stressful day, but also put her in deep thought.

Like now. She kept thinking about Madoka. She wondered how she'd act when the pink haired girl ever met her again. Her head was the only thing above the water. She giggled lightly as the thought of the newly made friend of hers, combined with the feeling of warmth that enveloped her, sent shivers down her spine.

Pure bliss for the bashful teenager.

Eventually, she finished taking her bath, because she didn't want to get sick. Her mother had kept some neatly folded clothes near the bathroom, and Homura changed into them as soon as she went out. She dried her long black hair with a towel, before hanging the towel up for it to dry.

Homura looked at her clothes after wearing them. A simple white t-shirt, and a pair of black trousers. No designs. Just the way she liked it.

Her mother had prepared dinner already. She could smell the delicious curry from where she stood, and it made her mouth moist.

She brushed her hair as fast as she could, tied it up into a neat and temporary ponytail, before heading to the dinner table to eat that delicious curry she was craving for.

Upon entering the dining room, she saw her father, who greeted her with a smile.

"Homura dear," he gestured to the chair in front of him, across the table, with high enthusiasm. "Sit down, sit down! Your mother is about to blow our collective minds with this dish."

She smiled at her father's antics, and couldn't hold back her excitement either. She sat at her chair and noticed that her mother's chair was empty. She noticed that the curry she was craving for, was already at the table. She frowned. What was it, that her father had gotten so excited about, if not the curry?

As if on cue, her mother brought out a large plate as she came out of the kitchen. Homura's eyes widened as she inspected what was on that plate... And she couldn't believe her eyes...

*A turkey.*

A well-cooked turkey, that smelled fantastic.

Her father was delighted at this point, looking at the turkey like it was the Holy Grail. Her mother sighed at the man's affection for the dish.

"Honestly, dear," Homura's mother said as she set the turkey down on the table, before looking at her husband. "I think you married me because of my cooking."

Homura's father didn't break eye contact with the turkey, from which emanated a beautiful aroma.

"Yes, my love." He said with a straight face. "As correct as always."

The lady giggled and punched her husband lightly on the shoulder before he smiled back as well.

Homura couldn't hold back her amusement, and her laughter came out in a brief snort, before she burst out in a fit of giggles.

The couple looked at each other in surprise, the at their beloved Homura with warm smiles. Their daughter happy like she was now, was something they always wanted for her. Seeing her this joyful made their hearts full of warmth and affection.

Homura's father took this chance.

"Someone is awfully happy today," He grinned. "Why don't you tell us about your day, over this amazing turkey I love so-"

"Hey!"Homura's mother interrupted.

"...Sorry", He said before continuing. "...Over this amazing turkey that was cooked by someone I love." He looked at his wife for approval of the statement.

The lady, however, groaned and rolled her eyes before she gave a silent nod.

"Excellent," Homura's father said, now looking at Homura with a warm gaze. "Let's dive in!"

Homura's giggles stopped, but she had to brush away a few tears from the corner of her eyes, before joining.

"Thank you for the food!" The three of them chanted in unison.

* * *

"I'm home," Madoka said, with a straight face as she set foot into her family's cafe. The house was remodeled in a way, such that the ground floor could fit the entirety of the cafe. The rooms of the family members were located upstairs, on the second floor.

Madoka passed by her parents before she proceeded to her room.

"Nah," her father, who was wearing a blue apron, said without looking away from the oven where a batch of cupcakes were being baked. "Your mother and I have it under control, dear."

Madoka's eyes darted around to locate her mother, and eventually did so. She was in her apron as well, and had a notepad and a pen in her hands.

"Go join your friends, honey. These are our last customers," she said, gesturing towards a table where only two office-men sat.

Madoka smiled and nodded, then jogged her way to her room.

The door was painted a girly pink, with her name written in sparkly English alphabetical blocks. Upon entering, she saw her friends look at her with visible interest.

"Oi, Madoka's here," Kyoko poked the back of Sayaka's neck with her foot, from her place in Madoka's bed.

Sayaka was sitting on the floor, and upon feeling the rude gesture Kyoko made, didn't get offended. They didn't care about such formalities at this point in their friendship.

"Oh, Madoka," Sayaka chimed, radiant with over excitement. "How'd it go?"

Madoka looked at her wide eyed friends and felt the need to explain to them the event in vivid detail.

So she did just that.

* * *

"This Madoka girl sound very responsible," Homura's father said with amazement. He was visibly surprised when he heard the story of Madoka returning the umbrella to her daughter. It was a decent thing to do, but the waitress of a shop doing such a thing for a complete stranger was something he thought was impossible.

"And very sweet too," her mother chimed in, with a warm smile. "You two sure get along very well." There was no hint of sarcasm in her tone, and she honestly did mean it.

Homura, upon hearing her parents praise her friend, felt very joyful. It was a big deal for her, that her parents liked her friend. Made her feel more proud.

But she smiled and chose to not say much. She wanted to tell them more about Madoka and how amazing she was, but she didn't want to bore them. It was dinnertime after all. It was not good manners to talk so much that others had difficulty eating. After all, there would be time for that later.

The turkey was well cooked. Homura could feel it melting into a river of flavors with every bite. Paired with the amazing curry made by her mother, dinner felt nothing short of divine.

But alas. After a full feast, none of the three had space in their stomach for any more. Homura's father wiped away a fake tear, saying goodbye to the turkey as he finished the last piece.

Homura giggled a bit at how over dramatic her father was being. But her mother was not having any of it.

"Its your turn to wash the dishes, dear", she said with an innocent smile. "We'll wait for you to finish, okay?"

"Blasphemy, woman!" He said with a frown. "You will not make me perform such a tedious task." He deepened his voice to sound more royal. "I am a king, not a dishwasher."

"King of the kitchen now, it seems," Homura said as she gazed up at the ceiling. She just said whatever came to mind, and had no intention of making a witty comment.

After a brief pause, her parents started laughing. And Homura took a bit longer to get the joke. She was partially embarrassed that she said such a thing, but relieved that her parents didn't get offended. Her father abruptly stopped laughing and remembered that he was laughing at his own fate. With a solemn face, he went to the kitchen.

"I'll make those dishes clean," He said in the same royally deep voice as before. "My kingdom shall be shiny!"

"Get ready for bed, dear. You have school tomorrow, right?" Homura's mother advised her.

"...But tomorrow is a Sunday, mama."

Homura's mother frowned for a moment, deep in thought. Then her face visibly brightened.

"Then lets watch a DVD today!" She suggested with enthusiasm. Homura got excited as well, and joyfully nodded in agreement. "But you have to go to sleep after that. Deal?"

Homura murmured an 'Okay' and followed her mother to the living room, while her father toiled away, hell-bent on making the plates shine.

 **-(End of Chapter 6)-**

* * *

 _As **FoldedHands** mentioned, there is a flaw in logic. I realize it now, and I'll try making that flaw a part of the story. I could just edit that chapter and everything, but where's the fun in that? Also, thanks to all who have followed/Favorited/reviewed the story. You guys are literally what keeps my motivation up. Trust me when I say that. Every e-mail notification is a thank you note. (insert smiley face here)_

 _._

 _Stay Safe_

 _DSH99_


	7. Of Wrongful Fevers

**(A.N.: New chapter. The earlier chapter got less response. Maybe I tried uploading two chapters in the same day that time, and it got unnoticed? Hmmm...)**

 **...**

 **[Chapter 7: Of Wrongful Fevers]**

"Holy crap, Madoka," Sayaka said in amazement at her friend. "You got balls, girl." She chuckled. "I didn't know you'd actually walk her home!"

"Yeah, holy shit," Kyouko said with a frown. "Thats like... A legit bold move." Her eyes wandered off elsewhere, trying to remember the source of her own intel. Maybe she read it in a shoujo-manga or something.

Well, it doesn't matter. She was happy that the girl Madoka had spent time with, wasn't dangerous business.

She breathed a silent sigh of relief when she had heard of how shy and timid the Catholic girl was.

Homura Akemi, huh?

It intruiged her, if she was being honest.

Madoka, on the other hand, kept the feeling of warmth she had during that event a secret. She didn't exactly try to hide it out of malcontent. She merely thought that in case that particular sensation was caused by some random fever she had caught, she wouldn't want to worry her friends.

"I'll meet her again tomorrow." Madoka said to the blue and red duo.

"WHAT?!", came the cry in unison.

"You will meet her three days in a row, and you only met her yesterday for the first time!" Sayaka said, trying to make Madoka see the flaw in her own choices. "She's gonna think you're insane!"

Kyoko didn't have a say in the matter. She didn't know much about the decencies of society to begin with. All her knowledge of etiquette came either from a manga or from a game.

But she did feel like Sayaka was worrying for no reason.

"Oi, Saya, lay off," Kyoko said simply.

"Umm," Madoka said to the blue haired girl, with nervousness. "I know you're freaked out, but she wanted to visit the café. Tomorrow's a Sunday, so I figured there was no better day."

Madoka's voice wavered with uncertainty, and it was evident that she had revealed her thoughts to her friends to know for certain if she was making the right choice.

Kyoko didn't know much about etiquette, but she did know a thing or two about choices.

She looked at the blue haired girl and smiled warmly for a moment, before talking to Madoka.

"Bring her here," She said cheerfully with her signature toothy grin. "I'd like to meet this Akemi girl too!"

Sayaka, all of a sudden, realized that she was being strange to her friend. She looked at Kyoko and realized that instead of supporting her friend, she had been going against her. She felt a little guilty.

"Sorry, Madoka," Sayaka said with a sigh. She wasn't very good at handling guilt. So she apologized without hesitation. "I panicked. I would like to meet her too."

Madoka chuckled a bit, and said that it was okay.

"I know you said that because you didn't want me doing something I'd regret." She said with a smile, to which Sayaka replied with a smile of her own.

* * *

The movie had ended a moment ago, with the credits rolling down the flatscreen TV in the living room of the Akemi household.

Homura just finished watching an animated movie with her parents. Her mother chose the title with her, and her father joined in afterwards, when the dishes were done. Now that it was over, Homura slowly crawled towards the Blu-ray player in all fours and proceeded to set the disc in its proper casing.

"UP", the disk read. She looked at her mother, who was yawning, and her father, who was lying down on another sofa.

Out of nowhere, a chill went up Homura's skin, signalling the proximity of winter.

Her mind reminded her of Madoka. How she asked the pink haired maiden to take her to the café again. She took a big gulp and felt her heartbeat increase to the point where she could feel her heart pounding in her eardrums. Truly nervous, she had become. But she was determined to ask.

"Mama," she said, as she put the case of the disk back into the shelf. She coughed a bit, to shake ther nervous wavering of her voice away before continuing, "Is it okay if I go to Madoka's house tomorrow? I want to see the café again."

Madoka's mother looked at her husband and frowned lightly. Her husband didn't hear the question, as he was apparently busy, yawning like a lion.

She looked straight at Homura and spoke.

"Of course you can," she smiled warmly. "Madoka seems like a nice girl. But if she is coming to pick you up, you need to sleep now or you'll be too tired to wake up when she arrives, don't you think?"

Homura didn't know exactly how her mother knew that Madoka was coming again.

Must be motherly wisdom.

Regardless, she smiled and felt all her nervousness fade away. She felt herself brimming with happiness that her mother allowed her to go.

Immediately, she lunged in to hug her mother, as tight as she could. The lady in question, chuckled as her daughter burried her face into the crook of her neck. The two were now sitting on the sofa which faced the TV, so eventually they had to let go out of prolonged discomfort due to the position they were in.

Homura let go of the embrace, and her mother could see that she was mildly trembling out of joy, but she wasn't smiling. Instead, her face was slightly red.  
Homura excused herself and said that she was going to bed, and hurried to her own room, eager to catch some sleep.

The mother smiled, knowing that Homura didn't smile because she was really bad at expressing what she was feeling.

Although, she had to admit.

She was not used to seeing her daughter show such affection out of the blue. It was quite surprising for her to see her daughter behave in such a way. Her daughter had changed, and she was now sure of it. And from the last few moments, she could say for certain that her daughter's change, was indeed a good one.

She looked at her husband, who had fallen asleep on another sofa. She didn't want to wake him up, so she brought a blanket from his room and covered him with it, to protect him from the cold.

"...Madoka, huh?" She murmured to herself with a simple smile. "She must be quite the girl to make Homura like this."

* * *

Kyoko and Sayaka had left the café after eating dinner with the Kaname family and talking to Madoka about random things.

Madoka often talked about Homura, and her friends didn't think of her weirdly for it. It made her a bit happy. But as soon as they left, she could feel herself getting drowsy. She said goodnight to her parents and her younger brother, and lazily walked to her own bed.

She knew she had to brush her teeth like a responsible lady, but she didn't want to. Her body seemed lethargic and she was certain that the warmth she had felt earlier, was due to a fever.

Little did she know, she was gravely mistaken to assume that.

She fell into a deep slumber, knowing that she'd get to meet the dark haired bespectacled girl the morning after.

The dark haired girl's final words to her played back in her mind as she shut her eyes.

"If you are free, please take me there tomorrow…"

 **-(End of Chapter 7)-**

* * *

 _Homura's parents are hard to write, to be fairly honest. I have to extrapolate a lot of things to pinpoint how it should go. Just randomly assigning character to them would be a fatal mistake on my part. A sin._

 _._

 _Take care_

 _DSH99_


	8. Of Glasses and Aprons

**(Sorry for the delay. And also, this chapter is longer.)**

 **...**

 **[Chapter 8: Of Glasses and Aprons]**

 **...**

Homura had gotten up early. She was really excited, enthusiasm filling her bones to the point where she couldn't lie down any longer. After all, how could she be sleeping?

Madoka was coming to pick her up today.

The thought itself was euphoric to her. She had finished her routine bathroom duties, made some simple toast and jam for herself, and then proceeded to make an omelette for her parents. Normally her mother would be cooking, as she was the early riser.

But today, Homura took it upon herself. After she was done with the chore, she noticed that her mother was up. The woman came inside the kitchen with a yawn, and Homura wished her a good morning.

"Sit down, mama," she said politely. "I made breakfast."

Her mother looked dazed and stared at Homura with half-open eyelids, processing the situation.

And it took a few moments, before her eyes widened.

"Wow," she said with visible amazement. "My daughter is cooking for me… Its official." She sighed with a smile.

"I have grown old."

Homura giggled lightly, and then served her mother the omelette. There was another one in the kitchen, which she had intended for her father.

"Won't papa wake up?"

"Hmm?" She looked up at her daughter. "Oh, no honey. Its a day off. So he'll be a little late."

Homura mouthed a light 'oh' and nodded, before starting to eat her toast.

"By the way," the mother said with a shine in her eyes, before continuing in a teasing tone."Isn't Madoka-chan coming today?"

Homura was suddenly pink in embarrassment. She nodded, looking down at her toast and avoiding eye contact with her mother.

"You better hurry up and get ready then. I'll give papa the omelette you made." She said, her smile warm as ever.

Homura looked up at her mother, her eyes now glowing with determination. She nodded and munched down her toast, and after doing so, quickly made her way to her room, leaving her mother to eat in peace.

"Oh, I forgot to tell her how breakfast was," she noticed as she stared at the succulent looking omelette that wasn't yet touched. She took a bite using a fork, and her eyebrows twitched.

"Oh my," she mumbled. "She forgot the salt, that silly girl."

But she finished the whole meal in the end and did so quite enthusiastically.

After all, it was her daughter who made it for her. How could she not?

With a lingering smile, she went to the kitchen to start her daily routine and of course, add some salt to the other omelette reserved for her husband.

* * *

Madoka was late. Her shift would start at the cafe in less than an hour, and she was supposed to pick up Homura quite earlier. So she grabbed a cupcake she had baked earlier, and munched it down as she had to get dressed in a hurry. Her hair was down, and it covered her eyes, giving her the appearance of a Gothic punk-rock vocalist. She had rummaged quickly through her closet to find a reasonable set of clothes to wear outside, and as soon as she did, she frantically changed.

Her cupcake was finished by the time she had gotten dressed. She tied her hair up in a ponytail, which somewhat made her look a lot less disheveled than she had appeared earlier. After looking at herself quick in the mirror, washing her face, and quickly micro-managing a few stray strands of hair, she hurried out.

Her parents gave her a questioning look as she was in a hurry to leave.

"I'm bringing a new friend over, Mom," she said. "I wanted to tell you earlier, but you two were busy."

Her parents didn't stop her. They were only starting their morning activities, and asked Madoka if she had her phone with her. She nodded and smiled.

"I'm off!" She left in a hurry and didn't hear her parents wish her a safe trip.

"I wonder who her new friend is," Madoka's father looked up at the ceiling from her newspaper.

"Maybe its a boy" the mother said, teasing her husband.

"I sure hope that's not the case." He frowned.

Mrs. Kaname smiled at her husband. It was nice to see a father being so protective of his daughter.

Kind of cute, really.

* * *

Homura had to pick the ideal dress. Nothing too fancy. She peered inside her closet and scanned the outfits she owned.

…Every single one was picked out by her mother, and none of them looked fancy to begin with.

Homura had always wanted to wear simple clothes, without vibrant colors and comfortable to wear. She didn't care much about fashion. Honestly she had never understood it. She disliked certain things, and was more or less neutral towards everything else.

Homura's mother had never seen such a spectacle. Her daughter, Homura Akemi, getting frustrated over what to wear. Truly a rare sight, she thought.

"Just wear what you feel like wearing, dear." She said to her daughter as she left her daughter to choose.

Homura hummed a reply, and her eyes fixated onto a certain part of her closet.

She knew what to wear now.

* * *

"Ah," Madoka mumbled to herself. "This should be the place."

In the old days of managing the cafe, Madoka had to deliver cakes to clients, so managing directions and memorizing routes had since become a subconscious effort for her mind.

Her family, now having the proper connections, hired people exclusively for delivery later on. Even though Madoka didn't have to personally deliver cakes to people anymore, the acquired skill was etched within her.

So finding Homura's house wasn't difficult for Madoka, even if it would prove to be so for someone else.

She started at the two storied house for a few moments, and gathering her thoughts, she rang the doorbell. After a few moments of patience, a woman in her early thirties opened the front door. Madoka greeted her formally, with no delay. She assumed the woman to be Homura's mother. The eyes, and the hair were a striking similarity between the two.

"Oh, you must be Madoka-chan", the lady said, with a warm smile. "Homura will be here in a moment. Come in!"

Madoka politely refused the invitation, as she didn't quite dress up for a visit to another house. Within a few moments of doing so, Homura's voice could be heard.

"Mama… That must be her. I'll open-" the feminine voice grew louder with proximity, before stopping abruptly. She stood there, stunned, looking straight at Madoka, and then at her mother. Her ears, and gradually her face, grew red in embarrassment. She looked down, trying her level best to reduce her discomposure. Her mother took note of this, but Madoka didn't find anything unusual. She was quite fixated on how the raven haired girl looked. A dark, matte-purple full sleeved shirt, and a pair of black jeans…nothing too fancy, but somehow simple and elegant. What else seemed different was her hair as well. It was let loose, which gave the rather shy girl a mature aura. Madoka felt her own stomach subtly warm up, as her eyes got fixated on that jet black, streamlined hair, held only by a red hairband, but she ignored that feeling.

There was something about Homura today, that made Madoka feel strange. Something was out of place. But not necessarily in a bad way. Something she couldn't quite put her finger upon.

Homura's mother subtly urged her daughter to go and talk with Madoka, which she did, after taking a deep breath.

"G-Good Morning, Kaname-san," came a meek voice.

Madoka smiled. Homura's shy personality really contrasted the mature aura she now possessed. It was amusing, and also -dare she say- absolutely adorable.

"Morning, Homura-chan," She chucked. "Ready to go?"

Homura looked down, and nodded. Her mother watched the scene unfold from her place in the porch. It was amazing how well her daughter communicated with that Madoka girl, she had thought. Quite impressive, she had to admit.

"Take care you two," she said in response to Madoka and Homura saying goodbye. "Try to come home before it gets dark, okay?"

Homura nodded, before her mother continued. "And don't ride the train. Walking home is easier, and faster."

She saw her daughter don an expression of disbelief, as if all that shyness she had was suddenly gone, and was replaced with heartbreak. It happened every time her mother asked her to not take the train.

She saw it coming, and with a sigh, she closed the door after seeing them off.

She leaned her back against the door, and looked up at the white ceiling. Homura isn't a particularly loud girl, but after her departure, the house seemed… grey. Her thoughts focused on her daughter, who had not had a friend in her lifetime.

"…Is she really going to be okay?" She muttered to herself.

'Of course she is,' she corrected her thoughts. 'Homura is a big girl now.'

And with that, she went back to wake her husband up for breakfast.

* * *

The trip to the cafe had been awkward, to say the least. Madoka had asked Homura how she was, and Homura responded with a feeble "Good". Madoka didn't take this to heart. She knew that Homura was just feeling shy. She complimented Homura's outfit, and did so casually, so that the tension would break. But it had backfired, and Homura just murmured a weak "Really?", before avoiding eye contact for the entire trip. Madoka had also noticed that Homura's face was bright red after that. So she didn't feel bad about the lack of eye contact in the slightest.

But she still felt that strangeness everytime she looked at Homura today. That feeling was the same as when she'd enter a room with a goal in mind, but forget immediately what it was. Like that. But exactly what seemed out of place, she didn't know. She didn't think too deeply, however, and chose to let it go.

Eventually, the duo had reached the cafe. Upon entry, however, they noticed that the place was overwhelmingly full of customers.

It wasn't crowded, but not a single table was left unfilled. While this seemed like a good thing to the pink-haired girl, she wondered if Homura would feel some discomfort. Upon looking at her, she seemed unfazed by the number of people present.

That was good, Madoka had thought. The two of them could just hang out in her room, she had thought. But her plans were put to sleep, as Madoka's father had said something that seemed outrageous to Madoka.

"We're full, dear," he said with a hint of desperation in her voice. "Could you ask if your friend could just help us with the tables? We'll pay her for it too."

Madoka frowned, but before she could utter a word, her mother entered the scene.

"Hey, its not okay to ask someone to do that out of the blue!" Madoka agreed with her mother, and stared at her father in a way as to show that what he asked of Homura seemed unreasonable.

"Ah," her father started to say, "I'm sorry, dear. I shouldn't h-"

"I'll do it," Homura interrupted. All three of the Kanames present stared at the girl with a look of confusion.

"Its okay," Madoka's mother said to her, smiling apologetically. "You don't have to feel bad about refusing."

"No," Homura said, her eyes bluntly stared at them through her spectacles. "I want to help in any way I can."

There was some uneasiness in her voice, and only Madoka could sense it. But there was a fire of determination in there too. That made Madoka feel at ease.

"Okay, then Homura-chan," the pink haired girl said, putting her fists to her waist. "Lets get you in an apron!"

"Eh?" Homura conveyed a look of disbelief and hesitation. "Do I have to wear one?"

Madoka chuckled. The air of uneasiness that had existed between them for the whole day, had suddenly disappeared. This was the first time Homura ever spoke in a manner so carefree. It made her heart flutter.

She got through.

"Yes, silly," she said, with a airy smile. "Its not the kind you wear in the kitchen. It looks better, you know?"

Homura looked at Madoka with eyes that reflected amazement, which resembled the look of wonder seen only on the faces of children. The sheer innocence of it made Madoka quell up with happiness inside.

And at that moment, she figured out what was out of place this whole time.

Homura had worn a pair of glasses and her hair was done in pigtails the first time the two met. But today, seeing how the jet black hair, was let to fall free in a silky stream, it felt as if the pair of glasses she had on, were not meant to be there. Maybe it was wrong of Madoka to think that way, but she had this feeling she couldn't describe.

"Do you have any difficulty seeing without the glasses?" She had unconsciously blurted out.

Homura was caught off guard by this. But she treated it like a normal question, much to Madoka's relief.

"No", she said, adjusting her spectacles subconsciously. "They are reading glasses. I used to wear prescription ones, but my eyesight is better now. Maybe its just a habit I haven't let go of yet."

Madoka noticed that Homura seemed more composed than usual. There was still a shy girl standing in front of her, and the calmness that she felt, was nuanced to say the very least.

"Could I hold onto your glasses for a while?" Madoka said again, and immediately cursed herself inwardly for saying something like that so thoughtlessly. But it was as if her mind was acting of it's own accord. "I'll give it back afterwards, okay?"

Homura didn't feel defensive. Or abashed. She had faith in Madoka. She trusted her. She was her friend. But she did not understand why Madoka asked for her glasses. Maybe it was part of the job to not wear glasses? Or maybe they just wanted to keep it safe? She didn't know, for all the possible reasons she could think of, seemed unreasonable. But she trusted Madoka. That did not waver in the slightest.

"S-sure." She took off her glasses, and gracefully put it into Madoka's outstretched hand.

After that, Madoka calmly asked her mother to show her how to get the apron on, as she excused herself to go to her room for a moment.

She hastily walked into her room, and locked the door behind her. She leaned her back against the door, and looked up against the ceiling. It was almost noon, and her room was filled partially with a bright light that came in through the window. She was temporarily alone with her thoughts.

"Stupid girl, why did you go and do that?" She murmured to herself. But it didn't convey any rage or loathing. Maybe she just felt regret. Why would she suddenly run off with a person's glasses for no reason, she didn't know. She didn't even introduce her properly to her parents.

"Ugh", she was verbal with the amount of regret she had felt.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She knew she couldn't coop herself up in her room any longer. She had to go out there.

But even through her closed eyes, she couldn't look away from the image of Homura's calm and collected gaze. Its as if by removing the glasses, Homura seemed like a completely different person. That look didn't convey much emotion. It seemed devoid of any, in fact. The shy, hesitant, and moe bespectacled girl in pigtails, and the calm, collected girl with an unflinching gaze.

Madoka shook off her thoughts with a deep breath. She laid down the pair of glasses on her reading table, and went out of her room.

Even if the girl ignored it, something was different. Madoka's curiosity was ignited. The girl with the jet black hair was the exact embodiment of mystery.

...A mystery that she craved to unfold.

 **-(End of Chapter 8)-**

* * *

 _Ah finally. We're gaining momentum. Also, I'm writing the KyoSaya part of the story with ample background. As I am writing the two parallelly, I took a lot of time for this update. National Exams coming soon for me. I just hope I don't do bad, heh._

 _._

 _Take Care_

 _DSH99_


	9. Of Calculating Machines

**(A.N.: Heck. 3k words!)**

 **...**

 **[Chapter 9: Of Calculating Machines]**

 **...**

Maybe it was because she couldn't focus without her glasses. Madoka stood at the kitchen, staring at Homura, who, unaware of Madoka's lost gaze, was taking an order from a table. She was listening intently to a man, who was occasionally looking at the menu. Madoka watched Homura calmly jot down the request and after doing so, she added, "Anything else?"

The man politely shook his head, and Homura smiled and nodded. There was no depth in that smile. But it wasn't bad. The man resorted to looking out the window while he waited, and Homura tore the page off the little notepad and gave it to Madoka.

The pink haired girl was lost.

Was this really the Homura she had talked to, when they had met? She didn't know what to make of this new persona in front of her. But did she dislike it? The calm, collected Homura with an aura of mystery, a face devoid of emotion, and eyes that seemed… blank. Did Madoka find it unlikeable?

…No. She didn't. In fact, this new persona seemed like a mystery. Akin to Pandora's Box. Madoka didn't know exactly what she had felt when looking at the new personification of her friend. But she was sure it wasn't repulsion.

As she nodded and looked at the silky, flowing black hair sway with Homura's departure to another table, she subconsciously transferred the note received to her father, who was in the kitchen with her. Normally, the father and daughter would be in the kitchen, and mother Kaname would tend to the customers. When the café traffic was minimal, Madoka would spend her leisure time elsewhere.

On times that are crucial, the three Kanames struggled to keep themselves afloat. Whenever one table was ready to order, some other table needed to make an order as well. Well, the café was spacious and had room for many customers, but either than aesthetics, it would be a source of great difficulty.

Madoka never wanted to wish for anything less than a café full of customers, but now that it has become true, she realized that she was way out of her depth. Her whole family alone couldn't mitigate the situation properly, so Homura was practically doing all of the heavy lifting.

Madoka broke out of her trance, and shook her head. She noticed that her kitchen timer had gone off. Putting on her mitts, she opened up the oven, and pulled out several trays of baked goods. Most of them were part of various orders, and the ones that remained, was kept nearby.

* * *

Homura, on the other hand, moved with grace. The silky, long hair that moved with her steps, and the apron that gave her a sharp aura of profession, was all that took to make her a formidable waitress. She didn't show much emotion, other than the mild smile she had on for the customers.

She even spoke with proper manners, and did so very calmly. It was enough for anyone to believe that she was doing all of it with ease.

But honestly, she was not.

She kept telling herself inwardly, "Madoka is depending on me. I cannot disappoint her. I must help her." On and on, she kept telling herself that, like a mental mantra, chanting away. She only took breaks when she needed to focus on talking to a customer.

She didn't realize that her outlook had changed after the removal of her glasses. The bridge of her nose was accustomed to the weight of the plastic ornament, but it didn't take long for her to forget that she didn't have any spectacles on. After all, she could see just fine without them.

Homura and the Kanames spent an hour or two, just to tend to half of the customers. And within that time, they quickly gained a sense of unison. Madoka's mother, who said calling her 'Junko' was okay, made up for all of Homura's shortcomings. The older lady was impressed by the girl's quick learning capacity,, of how she adapted to situations that should have been hard to handle for Madoka herself.

After a while, they were in sync. They could handle multiple orders with minimal instructions, and did so with marvellous efficiency . So, the remaining half of the crowd was easy to serve. The room had proper air conditioning, but even though that was the case, the four of them couldn't help but break a sweat on occasion.

Madoka's father, who helped Madoka in the kitchen, also took note of Homura's abilities as a waitress. He was impressed as well, but couldn't personally compliment her, as his duty with the coffeemaker was far from complete.

He was grinding the coffee beans when he spoke to Madoka.

"She's amazing, isn't she?" He said to her daughter, without taking his eyes off his grinder. But strangely, he got no reply. Did she go to the bathroom?

He looked at where Madoka was, and he saw her standing there. Madoka had the icing bag in her hands, and a freshly baked cupcake underneath it. But she was not doing anything. Her eyes were glued to something else. Following her line of sight, he confirmed the source of her daughter's fascination.

Her friend. Akemi Homura.

He looked back at her daughter, who was still looking intently at her. There was no particular emotion on her face. But he knew that she was thinking. About what, he didn't know. Bringing his attention back to the grinder, he sighed.

"It can't be, right?", he muttered with a sigh. He wasn't upset. But he was a bit confused.

Shrugging it off, he resumed his task, brewing the best coffee he could.

* * *

It took three hours for the waves of customers to leave. Three hours of hard work.

Three hours of voluntary work for Homura.

The elder Kanames felt a lot of guilt. They had thought that some minimal help from Homura would have covered it. But the fact that she did more work in three hours than what Junko did in a whole month was bad. They were also very impressed with how efficient Homura had been. Her timing with waiting tables were calculated, something that Junko had noticed.

As soon as one table was ready to order, Homura was there. She had to predetermine which table would order next, and which table needed refills. That amount of organizing and mental calculation was something that only Madoka's mother had noticed.

The couple had to come to an agreement. Homura needed to be paid for her efforts. But paying her a lot would make Madoka feel bad, they had thought, however unlikely it seemed. Maybe if they told Madoka, she'd understand.

And with that, an envelope was prepared with Homura's name on it. Inside was her payment.

But that gave birth to a problem they didn't predict.

"I'm sorry," Homura said, bowing down, "I can't accept that."

The three Kanames were at a loss.

"It's okay, Akemi-san", Madoka's father said. "It's payment for your efforts today. You deserve it."

But Homura was adamant.

"It looked like you were having some difficulty, so I volunteered for just a day," she said, smiling. Her voice had an air of embarrassment, even if she didn't show it. "I can't accept any money. I had fun working with all of you."

She bowed again, lightly.

'Ah, its an angel type', Junko thought. 'I'm sure she means it, but not giving her anything would be bad.'

And then, Madoka did something outstanding.

"Hey, Homura-chan?" She said calmly. "If you won't take money as payment, what else would you like?"

There was no ill intent behind her words.

Homura was surprised. She looked at the floor, and started to think of a reasonable alternative. Something that the Kanames would have no problem providing, and something that had no monetary value.

And she found one.

"Do you have any equipment that you liked, but unfortunately got broken?"

The three Kanames were confused to say the very least. They looked at eachother, but didn't know what to make of it.

"Yes, there's an espresso machine that Madoka loved," said Madoka's father. "But a few days ago, it just stopped working. It was expensive to begin with, and we couldn't find a shop that fixed it for a low enough price. We were thinking of throwing it away and get a cheaper one."

Homura's eyes started to glow with determination.

"C-can I have it?" She said, her excitement shining through her expressionless face.

"You want a broken espresso machine?" Madoka gave her a look of confusion.

Homura clasped Madoka's hands in her own, not realizing how embarrassed she would have been at normal circumstances. Madoka on the other hand, was busy processing the situation.

"Yes," Homura said, nodding. "Is it okay if I took it instead of it being thrown away?"

Madoka managed a stuttering "Y-Yeah"

After that, her father gave Homura a box which contained the said machine. It wasn't very big. It was almost 15 inches wide, and looked like a cube that weighed less than a few kilos.

Carrying the box with both her hands didn't stress her out. And that was enough.

* * *

Homura left at noon.

She had not said goodbye. As soon as she had the box in her hands, she managed a "Thank you" and left in a hurry.

Madoka, along with her parents were dumbfounded. After 15 minutes of Homura's strange departure, Madoka realized the pair of glasses in her room. She figured that she'll give it back to her later. She felt terrible enough already for taking it. She didn't want to add and extra layer of guilt to the amount of confusion she was feeling.

In her room, she laid in her bed, arms outstretched, facing the ceiling. Closing her eyes, she tried to find out why Homura would do such a thing. And what did she even do?

Nothing except her last image of Homura came to mind. The black haired girl had a look of satisfaction. As if she finally found something after searching for a long time. Madoka's eyes darted open. She didn't understand.

Did Homura really need a broken espresso machine?

Who would want that?

She sighed, when she remembered that Homura didn't even return her apron. She looked at her desktop, across the room. On it, some light glare reflected off of the pair of red-framed spectacles.

"At least we're even."

After 2 hours, however, when Madoka was lazily toying with a sugar cube in the kitchen counter, still worried about the actions of Homura, she heard the bell of the entrance ring, signalling the arrival of a customer.

And when Madoka put the sugar cube in its proper place, tidied up her apron and went to call her mother to serve the customer, she noticed that it was Homura.

"…Homura…chan?" She said, trying her best to hide her surprise.

"Sorry for being late," Homura said with an apologetic smile. She still had her apron on, and in her hands, was the same box she had left with.

Madoka wanted to ask many things, but before she could do so, her mother came in.

"Homura-chan?" She said, surprised. "I thought you went home."

"I did," Homura said, in a way that conveyed that she didn't know why they were confused.

"Is that the espresso machine?" Junko asked, as she noticed the box.

Homura outstretched her arms and handed the box to Madoka.

"Try it."

Madoka was confused again. Did Homura forget that the box was broken and realized it was like that when she tried using it back at home? Was she going to blame them for giving her a broken machine?

A cold shiver ran down her spine when she had thought that.

No, Homura wouldn't do something like that. She was a good girl.

She murmured an "okay" and took the box to the kitchen. Her mother and Homura followed.

The box was unpacked, and the machine was taken out. It was put on the counter and it was plugged to a nearby socket. Junko didn't say anything.

"Press the button," Homura said with a smile.

And Madoka did it.

To the amazement of the Kanames, the green LED lit up, and the gentle internal whirring of the machine could be heard. The pink haired girl was stunned.

Madoka was in love with the machine when it had worked. She used it for more than a year. Through the exams, the sad days, and happy moments, the machine would provide her an excellent espresso. And she would feel her bones tingle with excitement. It was a friend. But when it broke a week ago, she was devastated. It was like saying goodbye to a very close friend. Something that affected her deeply.

And now, it came back to life.

She inhaled sharply as she ran her hand across the outside of the metal chassis, a gentle friction reminding her of the memories she was willing to bury. It was an object of immense emotional attachment for Madoka.

She looked at Homura, feeling goosebumps on her skin.

"I'm good with machines," Homura said, a little abashed. "I was able to fix it for you. Your father said you liked it, didn't he?"

Homura didn't get a reply. Madoka did not give her one. She just took her hand off the machine, jumped her way to Homura and put her arms around her neck, pulling her into a tight embrace.

"K-Kaname-san?" Homura said, her voice meek and her face beet red out of being caught off guard.

"...Just Madoka is fine," the pink haired girl said, her voice slightly breaking due to the level of raw emotion she was feeling. Her tears didn't appear. She was just a but overwhelmed by what Homura did for her.

Homura sensed this, as she could feel her friend slightly trembling and her grasp tightening. It wasn't uncomfortable. Rather, it was gentle, and warm. She noticed Junko who stood a few steps before her, and having her arms folded, she smiled at her.

"I'll go and prepare something for Homura-chan." She said, the smile still glued onto her face, as she left the two alone in the kitchen.

Homura relaxed, still feeling a bit embarrassed by Madoka's advancement. She realized that the espresso machine was really very important for Madoka. So she let her friend have her moment. She rested her chin in the crook of Madoka's neck, and put her arms around her friend, patting her back gently.

"Did I do good today?"Homura whispered gently.

Madoka hummed a positive response.

"Then I'm glad," Homura said with a satisfied smile.

* * *

After they had their moment, which had lasted for more than a minute, the two had to break apart from each other. Junko had brought Madoka's father from their room, and he was also dazzled by Homura's achievement. He knew that the machine was surely very complex, as it had many features. It was amazing how his daughter's friend fixed it within such a short time.

Homura had some snacks with the family, which made Homura feel more at ease than she already was. As she had a cup of the espresso Madoka had made for her using the machine, she realized how special it actually was, and why it was so important to Madoka. She took a deep breath, the smell of the steamy beverage warming up her insides. It gave off a heavenly feeling.

It was bliss.

Suddenly, she forgot the stress of the day's work, became more relaxed, and took another deep breath. It brought back memories of that day when she stepped into the cafe for the first time. Had it really been several days?

It felt like years, as strange as that sounded.

She looked down at the froth that rested above the coffee. A few miniscule bubbles popped around the edges. She then looked up at Madoka, who sat on the counter, happy as ever, swinging her legs to and fro. She hummed a made up tune as she stroked the espresso machine occasionally. It was a sight that Homura never saw before. Madoka was really happy. And Homura had made her happy. It made her feel giddy, but she tried not to show it.

After a few moments, Junko came into the kitchen.

"We've been thinking, Homura-chan," Junko said. Homura focused on the woman's words, listening intently. "You said you only worked for a day, and because you volunteered, you wouldn't accept the payment, right?"

"Yes,"Homura said, nodding politely.

"Well, we agreed to make you a proposal." Junko continued. "Would you like to work here part-time? You not only worked hard, but you also fixed our espresso machine for free. If we weren't able to repay you for that, we'd feel bad. So we came up with a middle-ground." She paused for a moment, before continuing. " What do you say?"

Homura's eyes widened. She looked at Madoka, who was also surprised, but there was a glint of something else in her eyes.

Hope?

...Maybe.

She thought about it. Certainly, working here part time would make it okay for her to accept money. But she didn't want money. But why did she find the offer so enticing?

She frowned, looking down at her espresso. She clamped her hands around the warm mug and took a deep breath of the caffeinated steam to clear her head.

...Maybe it was because she could see Madoka more often.

Yes. That was it. Homura didn't see it as strange. After all, Madoka was her dear friend. It wasn't strange to want to meet your friend often, right?

No, certainly not.

She looked at Junko and gave her reply.

"Thank you, Junko-san,"Homura said. "I would like to work here. But I have to ask my mother for permission first."

Junko muttered an "Okay", and smiled.

She looked at her daughter, who was ecstatically hugging Homura now, the latter getting flustered, and trying her best to keep the espresso in her hand from falling.

'This could end up being a good thing after all', she thought to herself, before chuckling at the two girls who were lost in a world of their own.

 **-(End of Chapter 9)-**

* * *

 _And that's all folks. The story ends here..._

 _Just kidding. It doesn't end here. I haven't touched the best parts yet. (Including KyoSaya. Wink.) We're just getting started!_

 _(I wish I could reply to the anonymous reviews that showed up in this story recently. If you are reading this, know that I took it to heart. It feels amazing to know that I was successful in creating a sense of immersion. You shouldn't sell your efforts short. At first, I had only cringe-worthy writing, really bad feedback, and horrible grammar to show, but I have come a long way since then. You can do that as well. Just know that the path has no end, until you choose to give up. I hope I was able to get that across, dear anonymous reviewer.)_

 _._

 _Take Care,_

 _DSH99_


	10. Of a Weeklong Wait

**(A.N.: A bit short, but writing the new one as you read.)**

 **...**

 **[Chapter 10: Of A Weeklong Wait]**

 **...**

Dusk would settle after a few hours and Homura had to go home before that. A good meal with the Kanames after a long day was the highlight of Homura's day. After the meal, the dark haired girl carefully removed her apron and folded it neatly before giving it to Madoka's mother.

Junko had insisted that she stayed the night and enjoyed dinner, but Homura politely declined, as her parents were waiting for her.

"I'll walk you home, Homura-chan," Madoka kindly offered, an offer Homura readily accepted.

They had walked home, taking the same route they had taken before. Madoka thought of the morning, when Homura's mother had instructed them to NOT take the train. She looked at the girl beside her, who now had her glasses on, not being able to notice Madoka's gaze.

'I wonder why her mother said that,' she had thought. Maybe it was concern. Maybe it was something else. Well, she didn't want to interfere, so she put the topic to rest before uttering anything.

Their walk was less awkward than before, as they had things to talk about now. Madoka gladly answered some questions related to working as a waitress, questions that Homura asked as her usual, shy self.

Seeing the fidgety and slightly fumbling Homura trying to hold her awkwardness down while talking was something Madoka found relaxing. And something as girly as that was in direct contrast to the girl who had served tables earlier that day.

'How mysterious,' she had thought. 'Does her personality change when she takes them off?'

Perhaps it did. Or perhaps she simply mistook Homura's drive to work hard as something silly.

The two girls had talked about nothing but work. Madoka did not find Homura's conversations the least bit awkward. She thought it was endearing how Homura was being so diligent.

Soon, they had arrived at their destination. Madoka shifted her eyes to her side, looking at Homura for the umpteenth time. The girl looked at her own house with forlorn eyes, an expression Madoka empathized with.

Homura was about to say goodbye, but Madoka had interjected.

"Is it okay if I talked to your mom about the part time job?" She said, her eyes hopeful. "I can try to convince her to let you work."

Homura was confused at this gesture. She didn't know what to make of it. But she had to admit. If there's a slight chance of her mother not allowing her to take the job, she wouldn't be able to persuade her on her own.

She nodded, and Madoka smiled.

"Oh, you're here already?" A feminine voice had startled the girls. They looked behind, to see the owner of the voice.

It was Homura's mother. Upon further inspection, Madoka noticed a plastic bag in her hand, which was probably filled with groceries.

"I was just getting back from the convenience store," the older Akemi said to the girls in a kind manner. "Welcome back, you two."

Madoka smiled. So did Homura.

Well, they had their anxious thoughts burrowed deep within their minds. And there was no way of clearing those thoughts other than convincing the woman to let her daughter take the job.

* * *

"I'll allow it," the woman said, seated in her spot in the living room, while her daughter and the pink haired girl looked at her in disbelief. "You're practically a grown-up, Homura. Besides, I think an experience like this is gonna be good for you."

Madoka couldn't believe her ears. It barely took any effort to convince her. She honestly thought it would be quite a challenge. But thankfully, it wasn't.

"Is it really okay?" Homura asked, her voice low in volume, but reeked of excitement. "Can I really work there?"

Her mother nodded, not quite sure why her daughter was looking at her with stars in her eyes.

Madoka didn't stay there long. She had said goodbye after a few moments, and asked Homura to come to the café from the next weekend to get her started.

"Oh, and Homura-chan?" Madoka said, before leaving for her house. "When you feel shy around the customers, take off your glasses. It'll make you more focused."

Homura didn't understand why Madoka would say such a thing at this time. But she took her words as an advice.

She nodded and waved the girl goodbye.

And since that day, she felt strangely excited about the upcoming weekend. Since it was a week's worth of time, she had spent it daydreaming about going to Madoka's house and talking with her again.

She had missed the kindness of her friend, how she had chirped with happiness when her coffee machine was fixed, how she smiled at someone like-

'Ah, no,' she had broken her train of thought. 'I mustn't think that way.' She swallowed down her insecure feelings. 'I have to stay focused and work hard. Otherwise she wouldn't like to talk to me anymore.'

That, Akemi Homura had firmly believed.

Some time that week, her parents also got into an argument over her part time job offer. Homura had gone to sleep, and her parents were awake, with the nightlight on in their bed.

"She can work there, dear," the mother had said calmly. "It'll be a good experience."

Homura's father was in an unusually grumpy mood. It wasn't anger. It was something more 'childish' as her mother would put it.

"But she's not gonna be home that often from now on if she works there."

There was a childish whine embedded deep within his words. Something his wife didn't fail to detect instantaneously.

"Stop being clingy," she said, her words mocking her husband's. "If you're going to be so clingy about your daughter, she's going to think you're creepy."

Apparently that had done the trick. Her husband had a look of disbelief on his face. He was shocked at the notion of her daughter thinking he was strange. Homura's mother took advantage of this window in her husband's conscience, and went for the jugular.

"Let her work, dear," she said, her voice calm and collected, but feigning innocence. "She really wants to. You know how she is, never asking us for anything for herself. The least we could do is let her do this."

Her husband was having an internal battle with himself. Either he could be overprotective, or he could allow her daughter to achieve whatever she wanted.

And his wife was right. He could not stand in her way to being an adult. If he did, what kind of a father would he be?

"Okay," he said, with a deep sigh.

Homura's mother was once again victorious. Deep down, she had felt bad to have made him feel obligated to let their daughter work. But its as the saying goes… Desperate times called for emotional blackmail. Yes. That was the saying; she was certain.

She said goodnight to her husband and turned the nightlight off, nuzzling upto her pillow.

The first step was complete. She smiled inwardly. Now that Madoka and Homura would meet often, it made way for all sorts of possibilities.

Homura really needed a friend. A companion she could count on. Surely, her parents would not be able to support her forever. Homura's mother understood that. And that was the reason why she wanted her daughter to make more healthy bonds with others. She needed to grow. As cruel as it sounds, Homura was not a normal child. She always had her own… difficulties. But maybe it wasn't possible for her to make friends then.

But with Madoka, the mother saw some hope for her daughter.

She took in a deep breath, and closed her eyes.

'This could be the start to something beautiful', she had thought. And with that, her consciousness drifted away for the night.

* * *

And like that, the long awaited weekend had finally arrived.

Homura was excited. Her heartbeat accelerated, her palms tingled.

She was a timid girl. She never could exert any of her emotions normally. Most of what she had felt were reflected on nothing more than her face. She never felt that urge to hyperactivity jump or run, neither did she ever laugh from the bottom of her heart. Its not as if she didn't want to. She just couldn't.

So, the timid little Homura couldn't contain her excitement as she got ready, straightening her hair, and setting it down with only a red headband. She wanted to wear earrings, but she decided to not wear any more accessories than she already did. She wasn't as nervous as she was a week ago, and today, she felt at ease when choosing her attire. She went with something that seemed more feminine than her last outfit.

When she was done, she looked at herself in the mirror.

She had a simple pastel white dress, with a black jacket with purple accents at various parts of the entire outfit.

She didn't have her hair in the usual pigtails. As her hands reached out to grab the pair of red-framed glasses on her table, Madoka's words echoed in her mind.

"…take off your glasses. It will make you more focused…"

She didn't want her shy attitude to be a problem for Madoka. If she messed up due to lack of focus, Madoka would not talk to her anymore. She firmly believed that she needed to prove herself. That she could be relied upon by Madoka.

And it was true. She did feel more focused when she didn't have them on. She didn't have any difficulty seeing when she took them off. So there weren't any real drawbacks to not wearing them.

She said good-bye to her mother and father, before leaving the house, taking only her bag with her.

After she had left, Homura's father looked at the door longingly, but then he sighed and smiled at her wife.

"She has grown up a lot recently, don't you think?"

Homura's mother smiled as well.

"Yes," she said, feeling at ease as her husband finally came to terms with herself. "She certainly has."

 **-(End of Chapter 10)-**

* * *

 _Well, that was short. I know. My PC died on me, and I am in the middle of National tests, so please bear with me. I don't have any way to draft these and correct any flaws in formatting. I really apologise for that if you find any errors like that. Also changed my profile pic to something new to celebrate how my exams are going, if anyone is interested to know. You know what they all say about a picture and a thousand words._

 _._

 _Take Care_

 _DSH99_


	11. Of Latent Introductions

**(A.N.: Sorry for this huge delay. Am applying for college, so things are a little... messed up.)**

 **...**

 **[Chapter 11: Of Latent Introductions]**

 **...**

Sayaka and Kyoko were engrossed in what seemed like the most important conversation of the decade. Their expressions were void of any amusement. Surely, there was no room for 'fun' in the topic of their conversation.

"I'm telling you," Kyoko said, gesturing with her hands. "It ain't that hard. Just basic care should work just fine, right?"

Sayaka frowned.

"No," she said, her fingers intertwined in front of her mouth as she rested her chin on her thumbs. It gave her the appearance of a businessman. "Afros are hard to maintain. Don't let the appearance fool you. A lot of care goes into preserving them."

Kyoko frowned in response. She gave Sayaka a quizzical look, while the latter continued.

"Just think about their pain," Sayaka said, gritting her teeth in faux empathy. "Every day, going home, and finding out that little kids have been tossing paperballs into their marvellous hair…"

Kyoko looked as if realization had dawned upon her.

"I hadn't thought of that," the red haired girl said, face now reflecting regret. "They've been going through so much... And I just looked the other way…"

Sayaka continued her speech.

"The person who took so much care of the hair, doesn't mind it one bit though," she said. "They just go about their day with a smile on their face, as if nothing happened… To have your own masterpiece ridiculed, and still having the motivation to do better… Do you know what that means?"

Kyoko smiled, closing her eyes.

"Yes, I know," Kyoko grinned as she opened her eyes, revealing nothing but pure inspiration. "An afro is a true work of art."

Sayaka smiled in response, nodding to show approval.

"And the person with an afro is a true artist." Sayaka concluded.

The two crossed their arms and closed their eyes before laughing like they had won against a powerful adversary. It was an obnoxious laugh, almost villanious, if not overly dramatic.

They quieted down soon, as an angry glare from Junko from the kitchen of the cafe sent a shiver up Sayaka's spine. Kyoko followed suit, eventually calming down. They often engaged in conversations like this, but maybe doing so in their friend's family cafe didn't seem like such a good idea.

The sound of a bell interrupted them, as they momentarily took a glance at the entrance to see who had come. There weren't very customers so early. After all, it was just 8 o'clock.

The blue and red duo noticed a young lady with blonde hair enter. She was young, but gave off a mature aura, wearing clothes that seemed girly and formal at the same time. Sayaka knew that nobody would have been able to pull that off.

Except a certain someone.

"Ah, Mami-san!"

Hearing Sayaka's perky voice piqued the interest of the blonde. She scanned her surroundings for the source of the voice, and soon discovered a tuft of blue.

"Oh," the blonde haired Mami smiled. "Sayaka-chan."

She noticed Kyoko sitting opposite Sayaka.

"Kyoko-chan is here as well, it seems," her formal speech didn't wear off. "Hello you two. I'm going to be with you in a moment. I need to talk to Junko-san for a moment first."

Sayaka and Kyoko both nodded.

They resumed their conversation on afros, but this time, they tried switching to a topic about goatees. None were very concerned about the nature of their conversation, as ridiculous as it seemed to an outsider.

Mami returned from the kitchen soon, and sat down next to Kyoko at the table.

"So, how are you both?"

"Pretty okay, I guess," Sayaka chimed. Kyoko nodded, indicating that there was nothing special going on in any of their lives.

"I just came to talk about some business I had with Junko-san. I never thought everyone would be here."

The red and blue duo wanted to rope the blonde into their afro-appreciatory conversation, but before they could do so, they were interrupted by the bell.

A new customer, they had thought. No surprise there. But the three of them still turned their heads toward the door, by instinct.

A girl with straight and long black hair entered the cafe with a handbag. She had a face that was devoid of any expression, her outfit was not flashy or colorful.

The three friends eyed the girl with newborn curiosity, which soon turned into suspicion as the girl headed inside the kitchen, not taking a seat like the other customers did.

Through a window, from which Sayaka received a death-glare from Junko earlier, the three could see that the girl's face, which had been monotone since her entrance to the cafe, had turned into an expression of unbridled joy.

What could be inside the kitchen, which the suspicious girl was so happy to find? The question arose in the heads of the three girls, who threw puzzling looks at each other, before continuing their observation.

Soon, the girl came out of the kitchen, with Madoka and Junko. The girl was wearing a green apron, similar to what the Kanames were wearing. Her long, black hair flowed behind her with each step, as the Sayaka, Kyoko and Mami just stared, unaware of her identity.

Madoka quickly spotted her friends at the table, and proceeded to escort Homura there. She had to introduce her to the trio before she went about her duties.

"Hey guys," Madoka waved, as casual as she could be, "This is Homura-chan. She is gonna work here part-time." Her gaze shifted to Homura, whose eyes were filled with a subtle uncertainty.

Madoka knew that she was a bit uncomfortable, but she had to do this. It was good for Homura.

The jet black haired teen clutched onto the fabric Madoka's sleeve, and looked straight down, her mouth quivering slightly.

"P-pleased to m-meet you. I'm Akemi H-Homura."

Kyoko, Sayaka, and Mami felt their hearts melt as they were greeted by the girl. It was cute, in a way. Akin to the embarrassed look on a little girl who was doing her best to be brave.

Madoka's heart skipped a beat. But she was accustomed to the feeling. It was strange to her, and she couldn't for the life of her, find the cause.

'Maybe if I went to the doctor, he'd tell me that I have been eating a lot of junk food.'

Poor girl could only worry about her health for so long.

"I'm Sayaka," the blue haired girl said.

"Tomoe Mami. Pleased to make your acquaintance," said the blonde, bowing slightly with natural grace.

"Kyoko," said the redhead. She was never much for polite speech.

"Th-thank you," Homura muttered, unsure of what else to say.

'Thank you?' the group thought. They pondered for a moment, but still couldn't understand what the appreciation was for. Or at whom it was directed.

"Are you the girl with the purple umbrella?" Sayaka said, breaking the ice.

"Yes", Homura said, returning to her collected self.

Sayaka didn't think she would answer so easily. She expected a reply that would hint at Sayaka being a stalker. At least, that is how a conversation would start. But strangely, this girl didn't show the slightest bit of hesitation.

"We heard about you from Madoka," Kyoko said, her elbow hitting Sayaka's arm, as if to let her know that she had her back.

"That is the only possible way you could know," Homura reasoned, as quick as before. Her words didn't leak any sort of emotion. But they weren't cold.

Madoka was growing increasingly worried that Homura might accidentally set of some kind of alarm. It was true that she was a bit strange, but she really wanted her friends to like her. She was not sure why, but she did.

"So," Tomoe Mami started, sensing the clear tension in the air. "Akemi-san. Tell us about yourself."

The other friends seemed relieved that their older girl took the wheel. They were quite amazed at how easily Mami took control of such an awkward moment.

"...I am a student in a Catholic school," Homura said, knowing for certain that being logical and collected would save her from any potential embarrassment.

She treated the conversation as a test. Answering questions in a clear, and concise way would mean success. Not doing so would mean failure. After all, in an exam, embarrassment would mean nothing at all. So there was no reason to be shy.

At least, that is how she prepared her heart.

"Ah," Mami said in response. "That's not what I meant. I mean, what about a hobby, or preference?"

It wouldn't take a genius to figure out that the blonde was grasping at straws, trying to start a social conversation. Only way she could get any worse would be to talk about the weather.

"I…" Homura started. This was a tough one. What did she like? The list was surprisingly short. "...I like machines."

Suddenly, everyone at that table seemed to understand Homura a bit better. Or at least, understand how the girl's mind worked to some extent.

"So, you're smart, huh?" Sayaka was the first one who broke out of the awkward trance. She grinned as she continued, "I bet you get straight A's on everything."

Homura was not used to having such a lively and casual conversation. It was an amazing experience for her. In truth, she began to wonder if removing her glasses was the best thing she had ever done.

"Not on everything," Homura said, humble as she could be. "I am bad at Physicals. I am not very athletic."

There would be some frustration from someone in general while they expressed a weakness. But Homura did not seem frustrated while she did so. It was as if she was stating a fact.

Sayaka and Kyoko were visibly surprised at her response.

"I was kidding when I said you were a straight A student," the blue haired one said with wide eyes filled with disbelief. "But that's amazing."

Kyoko nodded, equally wide eyed as Sayaka.

Mami was pleased that the ice had been broken through. So was Madoka.

"Ah," the blonde gasped, looking at her wristwatch. "Nagisa's finished with school. I'm sorry, but I have to go now."

Her voice had apology laced into it, and the group were quite aware of her situation, so they didn't mind the sudden departure.

"Is Nagisa your little sister?" Homura, much to everyone's surprise, asked.

"No," Mami smiled, taking her bag on her shoulder. "I'm her guardian for the time being," she paused for a while, taking her time to leave the table. "I'll bring her by sometime. She loves it here."

Madoka hummed a response and looked at Homura. The latter was as stoic as ever. But as Madoka looked closely, she could see that Homura's eyes were full of admiration, as they watched the blonde leave the cafe.

Madoka felt a slight pang in her chest, but like always, she ignored it.

'Yep,' she had thought. 'Definitely too much cupcakes."

* * *

"So, you don't use regular coffee?" Homura said softly, her mouth slightly agape, as she watched Madoka arrange various containers on a table. Sayaka and Kyoko left shortly after Mami had done so, leaving Madoka and her family to teach the new recruit the tricks of the trade.

"No, if you mean instant coffee, then we don't usually use it," she said, her eyes shining. "We have lots of coffee beans of different qualities. Some vary in fineness in grinding, others vary in how much they've been roasted."

Homura stared at the coffee containers that were set onto the table. Madoka had put all the jars on a white table in the kitchen, as she carefully laid out a napkin in front of each of them. Homura watched with childlike fascination as her friend and part-time-mentor put one spoonful of each coffee variant on top of every napkin. The dark haired girl was called towards the table, and was asked to feel each of them, through touch and aroma. It didn't seem tedious at all. She was fascinated by how diverse it all was.

Some of the samples smelled strong, like burnt cocoa, others were mild. She had lost sense of where she was. To put it simply, she didn't feel this intruiged by anything since her first trip to the local electronic store.

While she observed each of the samples, her friend took in the sight of a focused, yet curious Homura. Without her glasses, she looked quite mature, but now that her childlike interest was showing, it contrasted with her adult-like demeanor. To be honest with herself, she did find this particular contrast delightful. And of course, rightfully adorable.

'So this is what gap moe means,' she thought to herself, briefly thinking back on how she got confused by the term when Sayaka and Kyoko were using it.

Yes, it was precisely that, for the lack of a better explanation, Madoka concluded.

Once the sample test was over with, the two moved on to the next part of the job.

"Customer handling," Madoka said, her caffeine induced energy slightly dampened, something which Homura managed to detect, despite her lack of proper social skills.

"What's the matter?" Homura's frown and worried tone seemed to bring in the attention of Junko, who was passing by. Madoka said nothing was wrong, but Homura was still confused. She thought that she could ask Junko why handling customers was something to be worried about.

And ask her she did.

Never before had the teenager seen a grown woman's face turn so bitter, in such a short amount of time. She turned to Madoka, in a sense of light panic, and saw her look quite gloomy.

Madoka's father took note of the scenario, and immediately rushed towards them.

"Hey," he said, putting a hand on each of their shoulders while Homura watched the weird scene unfold. "Its okay. Everything's fine. Its all in the past. Lighten up, guys."

The male Kaname's attempts at consoling the two made the dark haired one even more confused. She concluded that they had some traumatic experiences with customers in the past. She was curious, but decided not to pry, as recollection of those memories was clearly making them upset.

"Well, I can teach you about dealing with customers, Akemi-san." Madoka's father turned to Homura, and explained. "The rules are simple. Show them where they can sit. Ask them what they would like to order after they are done choosing from the menu. Relay the order to the kitchen." He looked like a teacher, Homura noticed, as she listened very carefully. "If any customer is giving you any trouble, or being problematic, feel free to tell us and we'll take care of the rest."

Homura nodded.

"So just like a standard family restaurant?"

"Yeah. Exactly like one. Just with a different set of meals, and more ambience... Don't you think?"

Madoka's father scratched his chin, clearly embarassed about bragging.

'I see,' the dark haired girl thought to herself. 'He's different from my father'

Indeed, he was. Madoka's dad was more mellow with a gentler stature, while Homura's father seemed more assertive and direct. Neither were better or worse than the other, but the difference in family members made Homura happy. Because she had never been able to compare her family with someone else's. Her eyes drifter towards the pink haired girl, who had just broken out of her gloomy trance. What Homura felt, was clear proof of the fact that her shell was breaking apart.

It wasn't clear whether the destruction of that very protective shell was a good thing or not. Honestly, it didn't matter. She would bask in this happiness for as long as it allowed her to do so. She wouldn't have it any other way.

 **-(End of Chapter 11)-**

* * *

 _Yeah. It was unjustified. I should have uploaded sooner. But things haven't been very smooth for me lately. I even considered getting some help, but it didn't work out well. But its fine. At least I can do this. Also, I apologize if this chapter wasn't up to the usual standards. I promise to make it better._

 _._

 _Take Care  
DSH99_


	12. Of Ruby, Sapphire and Rain

**...**

 **[Chapter 12: Of Ruby, Sapphire and Rain]**

 **...**

Man, today sucked.

Sayaka ran, her skirt allowing her to run as fast as she willed. She held onto the straps of her school bag tightly with her left hand, and while running, used the sleeve of her uniform to wipe away the tears before they could touch her cheek. Her eyes were red and the determination in them sharply contrasted the state of her heart. She was determined to do one thing at that moment. Only one thing.

"Don't break, Miki." She said to herself, her voice raspy, her heart on the verge of sinking to despair. The only strand of hope was her willpower.

"Don't you dare break now, Miki." She said again, now out of breath. She couldn't run anymore. She didn't have any destination in mind when she had started running. So she didn't care.

As her steps slowed down, she looked around. She was quite far from home. For how long had she run, she did not know. She sniffled and wiped the evidence of tears in her eyes. By now, they have dried up. It was time to go back.

"…Maybe later," she murmured. Her heart didn't feel as heavy as it did a while ago. But she did need some time to heal.

She looked around for a place to sit, somewhere nobody would look. And to her good fortune, she did find one.

There was a bridge nearby, with a decent-sized archway underneath. A stream of clear water ran below it. She figured that there would be a place to sit underneath the bridge, the cement arch providing her shelter from the gaze of any passerby.

So she walked towards the river bank, her feet partially numb from the running. As she made her way down the slope of the river, she observed where she would sit. And she was relieved to find that the spot she was looking for was dry. She clenched her school bag's straps subconsciously. She was too tired to think anymore. She just wanted to relax.

As she came closer to the spot she wanted to rest in, she noticed something rather peculiar. Frowning, she took a few more steps towards the spot and her suspicion proved to be legitimate.

There was a person there.

The bridge was no more than 10 metres wide. So there was ample room under one end. Sayaka stared at the white blanket which had covered a humanoid figure completely.

Sayaka coughed to draw some attention, and when it didn't work, she started to speak.

"Umm, excuse me."

But that too proved unsuccessful.

She thought it would be strange to wake up a stranger who was sleeping under the bridge as if it was their home. Realizing the rudeness of her actions, she sighed, making up her resolve to go home.

She gave herself some words of reassuring. Something that went along the lines of "I'll go home and shut myself in my room before mom realizes".

But as soon as she had turned around to make her retreat, something unfortunate had befallen her.

A few stray drops of water splashed on her face, making her slightly wince at their force. The smell of wet sand invaded her nostrils as a rogue gust of wind blew past. The sky was dark, even though it was in the middle of the day, something she didn't notice earlier because of her incessant running.

It was going to rain anytime now. And it was going to rain hard.

A part of Sayaka wanted to forget all her worries and go home soaking, or to dance in the rain to cure her broken heart. She was tempted by the thought, but to her sadness, rationale took the reigns.

She was going to find shelter under the bridge.

As she entered the warm shade that the bridge provided, she noticed that the spot was cozy. The archway underneath was higher than what she had imagined.

She knew it was going to be a while until the rain stops. She figured that she should probably find a good place to sit while she was at it.

As she was about to do so, however, the humanoid figure she had seen earlier rose from its slumber, revealing to Sayaka who it was underneath those white sheets.

And it calmed her down to see that it was just a girl. She had red, long hair, tied up in a simple ponytail. Her hands lazily rubbed her eyes before she opened them, indicating that she was asleep for a really long time. And when she did open her eyes, Sayaka found herself staring awkwardly into a pair of shiny, ruby orbs.

"What are you doing here?" The girl said in an irritated tone, her voice groggy. "Go away. I don't have anything valuable, so you wouldn't want to steal from me."

Sayaka was still in a trance, trying to figure out what was going on. Heartbreak can take a toll on someone's thought process, and Sayaka was clearly a victim. Finally, she did figure out what was being said to her.

"How rude of you to assume I'm here to steal," she said in defence. "I'm just here because it will start raining pretty soon. Let me stay here until it goes away, please. I'll try not to bother you."

The red haired girl was not sure how to respond. She put on a cold demeanor, but she was indeed quite concerned about an absolute stranger invading her personal space without any prior notice. Surely, there was nobody who would like that, right?

Sayaka was not oblivious of this fact. She saw the redhead shrug and fold her blanket. The girl then took said blanket to a makeshift tent on the other side of the bridge. Well, it was not technically a tent. More like a large blanket that was hung from two poles on either side of the bridge, almost like a curtain one would see at a movie theater. It was not a very robust 'tent', but it probably was enough to store things like boxes or food in.

Sayaka observed closely as the redhead tossed the blanket inside the 'storing space'. The girl turned to Sayaka and talked, maintaining a steady deadpan.

"As soon as the rain stops, you're leaving." Sayaka smiled at the words of the redhead, who frowned in response. "...Just don't steal anything or kill me."

The blue haired girl rolled her eyes as soon as the redhead smirked. If she hadn't done so, Sayaka would have taken the last comment quite seriously.

"Ugh, fine. I'll sit over here then!" She said as she rubbed away some imaginary dust off the floor, before letting herself sit. Her back leaned against a nearby wall, and she kept her legs close to her.

"Sure, whatever."

Within several minutes, Sayaka found herself cozying up in her little spot as she leaned her head against one of the support pillars near her, as her gaze drifted off to someplace else. The sound of rain had become peaceful. Some stray droplets of water brushed her skin and clothes from time to time, but it was a welcome sensation. Sayaka breathed in slowly, closing her eyes and taking in the delightful smell of moisture. Her skin was riddled with goosebumps, as she exhaled ever so slowly. And before she knew it, she started breaking down.

All her memories that day came rushing from the back of her mind, and all she could think of was how much it hurt. Before she could steel herself and repair the walls around her heart once more, her tears started to fall down her face without warning. There was no willpower left in Sayaka to hold herself back, she was utterly vulnerable, and she hated every moment of it. Oh how she wanted, to just let it all out in the comfort of her own room.

Sayaka tried again and again to stop, but her breath became shaky, and she felt a lump in her throat. Not ready to surrender to this unrelenting urge to sob, she pulled her knees closer to herself and wrapped her arms around them as she buried her face in the little crevice.

Once again, her emotions surprised her as she started to tremble, her toes curling inside her shoes. She gripped onto the fabric of her own clothes.

Her entire being conveyed one string of thought, in all its purity.

"It hurts."

In midst of having a nervous breakdown, Sayaka felt something odd. Warmth. Something she would never have expected to feel. The warmth was around her shoulders at first, but it spread out through her arms and down her back. Why did this warmth come to her, Sayaka didn't know. Did she even ask for such a thing?

"I dunno what's wrong," came a soft voice which spoke very close to her head. "I won't act like I understand, but ya know what?" There was a slight pause. "Its gonna be okay. Just let it outta ya. You'll feel better."

Sayaka looked up from her little nest between her kneecaps and chest after what seemed like an eternity, as she found herself being embraced by the girl from before. The redhead was now on her side, on her knees, as she had her arms wrapped carefully around Sayaka's shoulders. Sayaka's misty blue eyes welled up again as they met with the warm, red ones of the girl hugging her.

She gave up resisting and let her emotions take control of every fiber of her being. She turned her torso around and buried her face into the crook of the redhead's neck, as she started to sob uncontrollably. It was not ladylike at all. The show of emotions were raw, unfiltered, and honest. Her cries were slightly muffled by the fabric. The girl wrapped her slender arms around Sayaka's neck, almost like a warm blanket. Her fingers gently, and slowly running through Sayaka's silky blue hair as she whispered soft words of consolation to her.

The two were in their own world, separated from the whole world. The rain poured heavily, almost drawing out the sounds of Sayaka's broken voice. Curtains of water that dropped down from either side of the bridge, and the archway over their heads, shielded them from everything else. There was not a soul nearby who could enter their little sanctuary.

For a moment in time, that little spot under the bridge, was their safe haven.

* * *

After several long minutes, of what seemed like hours to Sayaka, she stopped crying. Her eyes were red, and puffy, and every time she inhaled, her breath would become ragged. She clutched onto the fabric of the girl who lent her a shoulder, and inspected the wet mess she had left there. It was a red t-shirt, which was now a darker shade of the color in one large spot on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry," Sayaka said in her raspy voice, after she cleared her throat. "I couldn't help it."

The redhead resisted the urge to say something witty. She knew it would be quite insensitive of her to do so. This restraint surprised her, as she was never one to care about such things. But she shrugged it off.

"Its okay. You feel better now?"

"...Yeah," Sayaka said, rubbing away a stray drop of tear from her chin with her forearm. "I think so."

"Do ya mind telling me about what happened?" the girl said to her, now a little relieved to hear Sayaka's response. "I dunno if I can help ya with it or not, but telling me might make ya feel much beter."

Sayaka looked up into the warm, red eyes once again. The prospect of feeling better than her current state seemed lucrative.

"I don't want to bore you with my problems. Its okay. You don't have to do this for a stranger like me."

The red eyed girl frowned. Clearly, this was unacceptable. She was holding herself back, not because of privacy, but because of politeness? That was no excuse.

"I'm Kyoko," the redhead blurted out. "What's yer name?"

Sayaka was confused. She didn't know why she was asking that, but her mind already trusted this girl enough to autopilot herself to say her name.

"I'm Miki Sayaka."

"Well, then... Sayaka," Kyoko said, her mouth now forming a warm, yet coy smile. "Now that we're friends, you gotta tell me what's botherin' ya."

Sayaka's frown changed into an expression that didn't do justice to what she was feeling. It was an odd mixture of happiness, confusion, heartbreak, and relief. She was pretty sure the face she was making didn't convey that particular feeling, but she didn't care anymore.

"I suppose I do," Sayaka said, her mouth now forming a half-smile, which was the most she could muster in her current state.

And after that, she started to tell Kyoko about exacty what happened that had caused her so much grief. She didn't leave out any detail, as Kyoko listened carefully. Her warm ruby eyes never left Sayaka, even for a moment, as she listened.

* * *

"So this Hitomi chick just went and confessed to him?" Kyoko asked, her mind compiling all the information given to her. "And he just accepted, without even thinkin'? I mean, I know that sucks, but doesn't he get to pick?"

Sayaka knew she was going to be asked that.

"Its not that. I admired him for a long time," Sayaka said, her hands turning into fists. "We shared many things, and I even took care of him when he was in the hospital. I tried to encourage him to do all the things he liked, and tried my best to be the person he loved. He even said that he was not interested in love, one day. It hurt, but I didn't mind it that much then. Now he does this, and I won't get to support him anymore."

Kyoko frowned. Sayaka was making sense, yes. But her sentences were all out of order. It was as if Sayaka was unsure of what to express first.

"So why can't ya just be his friend and still do all of those things that you were doing?" Kyoko asked.

"I can do that, but it wouldn't be fair to Hitomi... And besides, I can't do that knowing I have no chance in this."

Kyoko was now becoming irritated. Not at Sayaka, but her way of thinking. She decided to be forward.

"Then let him go," Kyoko said, looking straight into Sayaka's eyes. "If he doesn't think about you that way, you don't have to think about him. And besides, if ya think this Hitomi chick is better suited to deal with him, you've already given up on him, haven't ya?"

Sayaka's eyes widened in response. She didn't know how to react. Was it true? Did she really give up on Kyosuke? If so, then why was she in pain? Why did it hurt so much?

And then, she discovered something that answered all her questions.

It didn't hurt anymore. Aside from the residual pain in her throat, she didn't feel any sadness. There was no gut-wrenching agony that plagued her mind before she came here, and she certainly didn't feel like crying anymore. She wasn't happy, or anything, but there was an astonishing lack of pain, as if months and years of accumulated burdens have been lifted off her shoulders.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a familiar jingle that came from her schoolbag. Sayaka pulled her phone out of the bag to see that her Mother had called. Well, she didn't want to recieve the call. Not with her raspy voice. So she just switched it to 'silent' and shoved it back in her bag.

"I gotta go," Sayaka said, a bit sad to leave. The rain had stopped. All there remained of it, were the puddles, and the remaining drops of rain that fell from the trees. "Its getting late, and I did say I was gonna go once the rain stopped."

Kyoko felt a little guilty of her own words from before, and she decided to make amends.

"I was just kidding," she said to Sayaka, her cheeks turning into a faint shade of pink. "I'm not used to having company, ya see."

Sayaka smiled. She could not say anything to that. But she did think Kyoko being shy was a sight to behold. Not that she would admit it, of course.

The blue eyed girl took her bag and climbed up the slope beside the bridge. And before she left off, she turned around and faced Kyoko, who was still under the bridge.

"So your name's just Kyoko?" Sayaka said, her voice laced with obvious curiosity. "What's your last name?"

Kyoko smirked and chuckled. She saw the chance, and she took it.

"I'll tell you when ya come over next time, Miki."

Sayaka smiled at how coy she was being. It was charming.

"You better," Sayaka said. "And Kyoko?"

"Hmm?"

"Thanks."

With that, Sayaka ran off, leaving a dumbfounded Kyoko in her wake. The latter recollected her bearings, and smiled.

"Nah, its me who should be thanking you," Kyoko murmured to herself. Her insides were swimming in a strange sensation of accomplishment and joy. In all honesty, she wasn't feeling very good recently. Her crossing paths with Sayaka seemed to make her day.

'What a weird girl', she thought to herself, as she looked up into the clear blue sky, something that oddly reminded her of Sayaka's eyes.

 **-(End of Chapter 12)-**

* * *

 _Ya'll gotta leave a review or two if you want to provide your thoughts and opinions. I'm pretty much open to any sort of response. Every bit of feedback is valuable to me. So don't be shy..._

 _._

 _Take Care_

 _DSH99_


	13. Of Tips and Pins

**...**

 **[Chapter 13: Of Tips and Pins]**

 **...**

It was time for Akemi Homura to finally learn the most important part of the job.

Dealing with customers.

While it seemed easy for anyone who heard it, it proved to be quite an expansive field of work. The customers ranged from polite to 'difficult', which was Madoka's kind way of saying 'they are scum.' Well, Homura was against using that particular term, but after hearing about several examples, she was quite adamant on calling them deplorable.

But that would upset Madoka, and hence, Homura did not badmouth them.

The usual range of customers did not prove to be much of an issue, as Homura observed. Maybe sometimes some individuals will ask for more sugar, some would ask for less. That was not particularly a problem, but seeing as it was even mentioned, Homura ascertained that the cafe was mostly a peaceful and quiet establishment.

Her dark colored eyes still shone in fascination whenever she gazed around the ceiling. The hanging spherical lights provided the place with an unique, warm glow, while the lightly tinted glass windows made sure that daylight wouldn't interfere with the indoor lightning. Homura had been coming here for several days now, learning more and more about various things. This included the handling of the equipment, to memorizing the types and blends of coffee.

Madoka had said that she would even teach her how to bake several items from their menu, but Homura insisted that she did so when the place was closed. Otherwise, there would be a possibility of accidentally mixing up the spoiled batches from the actual ones. That would surely upset some customers.

That brings her to today. The day she was done with learning the basics.

She was always practical about learning new things. Now, she had to earn some actual experience with real life customers. This would present her with new challenges and lessons. And slowly, she would be able to master the task.

Well, at least in theory.

Because there was one slight problem.

Akemi Homura didn't have the best track record in talking casually with strangers. Madoka's friends were an exception. They were quite easy to talk to. Maybe it was due to the risk she held in harming someone else's business. Or maybe it was due to the fact that Madoka would be angry with her if she had messed up.

The prospect of Madoka not talking to her made her choke up.

She completely forgot that a customer was in front of her. She came to her senses the gentleman was waving a hand before her eyes.

"Ah," the dark haired teen cleared her throat as she spoke, trying to collect herself. "I am sorry. I shouldn't have spaced out like that."

Yes, she mentally rejoiced. The only social skill she was proud of was her ability to apologize. She bit her tongue. She knew she was contradicting herself.

Madoka wouldn't be angry with her if she messed up. _She would be angry if Homura didn't even try doing her job._

The gentleman was kind, and didn't mind Homura's absentminded trance. In fact, he was quite pleased with her manners.

"Its okay," he chuckled. Homura nodded and brought out her notepad, clicking her pen before looking at the customer. The man took another quick gaze at the menu before he made his order. "I will have the Royal blend, with no sugar."

Homura jotted down the order in neat handwriting, and carefully went through all the instructions Madoka had given her. She had welcomed him to the cafe, showed him to his seat, asked for his order, and written it down. Now came the biggest step.

"Would you like anything else?" Homura asked, maintaining a light smile. She spoke from memory, choosing her words carefully. "You're our first customer for the day, so we would like to provide a dessert of your choice… with your order. Its on the house."

The customer smiled back, with a frown. He hadn't expected this, but it was a welcome surprise.

"Really?" His frown disappeared, but he was still beaming. "Lucky me, then."

He skimmed through the dessert section of the menu, and gave an order for a shortcake. Homura jotted down the details in her pad, and looked into the customer's eyes.

"Your order will be ready in a minute or two."

With that, Homura left for the kitchen. The hardest part about this was not the talking. But the forced smiles. No matter how much she willed herself, she was unable to smile naturally. It came out forced, and awkward. Homura was a perfectionist at heart, so she had to practice her smile and demeanor in front of her own bathroom mirror. She did this every night, for four nights straight, until she was somewhat content with her display of pleasure.

Smiling was still the toughest part of the job, according to Homura. But she had to practice.

As soon as she went into the kitchen, however, her thoughts came to a screeching halt as a tuft of pink came dashing towards her. Madoka clasped her hands around Homura's rasing them up to their chest level.

She was beaming with happiness.

"That was pretty great, Homura-chan," Madoka gushed. "It was fantastic for your first time. I slipped and fell on my first day."

The last part was said with Madoka looking into the ground, with a tinge of embarrassment. Homura tried to stifle a chuckle, but her laugh came out as a snort, making her cover her mouth with a hand.

Madoka chuckled too. She blushed when Homura's usually expressionless face struggled to not laugh at the thought of a younger Madoka tripping and falling flat on her face. Madoka did not mind, however, because this also made Homura more relaxed. She had been quite tensed when she was taking the order.

The dark haired girl was now at ease. She calmed herself down and tore off the page from her pad, giving it to Madoka, who took a look at the paper before speaking.

"Royal Blend," Madoka said, looking at Homura's eyes. "Do you want to try making it?"

Homura nodded quite eagerly. She had practiced this part a lot, and the shy girl wanted her trials to not be in vain. She knew the measurements and process of preparing the cup by heart. And now was her chance to proclaim the fruits of her efforts.

She quickly got to work, while Madoka began her process to plate the shortcake. She took a glance at Homura at intervals, making sure she was doing everything properly.

Within three minutes, Homura was done. The water was set to boil beforehand, so she didn't have to wait for long. In her mind, she carefully recited the steps.

'Slow and delicate stirs,' she said to herself. 'Slow and delicate stirs.'

Those words were taught by the pink haired girl, and now they had become a mantra of sorts to Homura. If Madoka knew how she was thinking, she would have surely thought that she was weird.

Madoka walked up to her, and grabbed a spoon, taking a few drops of coffee from the cup. She blew it softly, and took an experimental sip, before giving Homura a thumbs-up. The latter smiled when she received the gesture of approval. She was doing nicely for her first time working, she thought to herself.

Homura took the two plates to the table, and set them down gently. She used a finger to turn the cup handle towards the right, something Madoka's instructions had included, weirdly enough. The pink haired girl watched from her place in the kitchen, being slightly taken aback by the fact that Homura had remembered even that tiny detail.

Madoka smiled to herself, and felt her stomach tingle in a funny way. It was subtle, and so, it was ignored by the teen.

Homura bowed, and asked the customer to enjoy his drink, before going back to the kitchen with elegance.

Madoka was always entranced by this graceful side of Homura. Anyone who saw the current Akemi Homura would be unable to comprehend the fact that she was this shy girl with glasses and braids that walked into this place on a rainy day.

'Thank god for gap moe,' Madoka said, holding onto the edge of the kitched counter, her expression resembling that of a contented old lady. Sayaka and Kyoko had talked about this topic one day, and Madoka felt like she understood the concept now. She felt a sense of deja-vu as she thought that. She could have sworn she had that exact same train of thought the other day.

* * *

Sayaka and Kyoko came into the cafe afterwards, and took up their usual spot in the corner. Junko was particularly adamant on making them sit there, due to the fact that the two were very loud on occasion. It was safe for all if they didn't bother the other patrons.

And within a moment, Homura was done with saying goodbye to the customer she was serving.

"Please come again," she said gently with a light bow.

As soon as the man was out of earshot, Homura turned around and took the tip she had received into her own hands. It was only a single 100 yen coin, reflecting the ceiling lights. But the value didn't matter. It was tangible, weighted evidence that she had stepped out of her comfort zone and done something good.

The coffee was not overly expensive either, going a little over 500 yen. So a 100 yen tip was pretty lush.

After all, Madoka's dad was insistent on making the place accessible and affordable to many people, not just 'caffein-snobs'.

She closed her fist, the coin now in her hand, as she skipped towards Madoka. The pink haired girl was talking to Sayaka and Kyoko, at a corner.

As soon as Madoka looked her way, she took the coin, pinched it with her thumb a index finger and held it up in front of the pink haired girl.

A light frown, a determined gaze and a smile made her seem like a child who was being proud of a stellar achievement. Madoka and her friends briefly applauded the childlike display of pride, which did not deter Homura in the slightest.

"I know its not much," Madoka said. "But considering its a tip, its nice."

Homura knew Madoka trying to console her, but she didn't need it. She wasn't after the money after all. And even if she was after money, she could have bought plenty of electronic components for a weekend project, just with the coin in her hand.

Homura nodded, and shoved the coin in her pocket, and walked to the kitchen, leaving the three girls in her wake.

"So," Sayaka said, lazily resting her chin on her arms, which were folded on the table. "If you guys owe her money for fixing your stuff, and if she refuses it, why did she take the job?"

Kyoko frowned. "Yeah, wouldn't that like… put her… _more_ into debt?"

"Well," Madoka chuckled. "We planned to give her a some extra every time we gave her money for this job. I don't know why she agreed to that so easily though."

Sayaka and Kyoko looked at each other and then back at Madoka.

"You sure find some scary ways of being good to people."

Madoka narrowed her eyes at her childhood friend after hearing the remark. She didn't know whether her friend was meant it as a compliment or an insult.

She shrugged it off.

"Oh, by the way," Madoka said, looking at Sayaka. "You remember Hitomi?"

Sayaka's mouth grimaced at hearing the name. She didn't hate the girl. But hearing her name did make some old memories resurface. She didn't like feeling that way.

"Yeah," the blue eyed teen said, trying to keep herself in check. "Kinda hard to forget."

"Well," Madoka started, with a twinkle in her eyes. "Homura-chan and I were walking the other day and we kind of met her."

"Oh?" Sayaka's mind was now clear of all turmoil. It all was replaced by curiosity.

Kyoko rested her elbows on the table and rested her cheeks on her hands, paying attention to the conversation.

"A cat clawed into her face," Madoka said, smiling. She was never one to feel good at the expense of others' pain, but in this particular case, a harmless kitten inflicting such terror was extraordinary. It was something even the pink haired teen couldn't help but snicker at. In private, of course.

She proceeded to tell Sayaka the story in full detail, even Kyoko grinned and laughed with Sayaka after hearing the 'tragic' incident surrounding Hitomi.

"You know," Madoka continued. "I think she changed quite a bit after the whole… you-know-what thing."

Sayaka and Kyoko knew that the you-know-what referred to when Kyousuke and Hitomi had started dating. They didn't get why Madoka was always so careful about talking about it. It all happened three years ago, so such a level of care didn't make much sense.

But the two knew that it was Madoka's inherent nature to act in the kindest possible way, regardless of what people say. And the two girls knew better than to tell Madoka otherwise. They both liked her, but they were also afraid of what she would do if she ever got angry.

Its said that the kindest people shouldn't be angered. And everyone followed this age old adage around Madoka, without her knowledge of course.

Kyoko looked at Sayaka, who was now talking to Madoka about how the cat looked, and something about not being much of a cat-person. The topic didn't mean much to the red haired teen. She just gazed at her best friend.

She was worried when Hitomi's name was uttered and Sayaka grew upset. She was relieved to see when Sayaka laughed while Madoka told them about Hitomi. She was happy that Sayaka was feeling happy.

A warm sensation in her stomach sent her into a peaceful trance, while she now rested one cheek on her palm, her gaze affixed to Sayaka.

Kyoko wasn't smiling anymore. Her face was tinted in a faint shade of red. Sayaka's eyes were still focused on Madoka as the two talked. Kyoko noticed how her friend's blue bangs fell in front of her eyes.

Sayaka had occasionally put a few strands of hair from her front and pushed them aside, something that she did in a subconscious fashion. But Kyoko had noticed.

This time, before Sayaka could touch her hair to fix it, Kyoko absent-mindedly used her fingertips to tuck the rogue strands of blue hair behind Sayaka's ear. She did so very gently, and slowly, without any conscious thought or intention. Her mouth had been open in a lazy 'o', her head was still tilted and rested on her palmtop.

Sayaka's conversation with Madoka abruptly ended, as the two now looked straight at Kyoko. Sayaka was startled at how Kyoko was acting, but she found herself being completely still, looking at Kyoko's expression. She never saw her friend behave in such a way.

Madoka's heart fluttered as she witnessed this display. She felt her cheeks become warm, as she mentally thanked God for showing her such an amazing spectacle.

"W-what is it?" Sayaka said, in a quiet voice, unsure of Kyoko. "Something wrong?"

Kyoko's mental gears took several seconds before clicking back into full-fledged motion. She nervously laughed, knowing that lying carelessly would probably make things worse. She had to be careful if she was going to dodge this bullet.

"S-saw ya do that couple 'a times today," she said, trying to mimic nonchalance. "Yer hair is sure getting bigger."

"O-oh," Sayaka became visibly relaxed after seeing that her friend was perfectly normal and hadn't been replaced by an alien. Her eyes looked up as she pinched a strand of hair and rolled it around between her fingers. "Yeah. You're right. I should probably get it cut or something."

"No," Kyoko said abruptly. She noticed her strange remark as soon as she said it and tried to gather her thoughts. "I mean, if its getting bigger, get a new hairclip or something."

Sayaka did not suspect Kyoko's sudden diaspproval. But Madoka did. She was deeply enjoying this.

"Kyoko-chan," Madoka said, smiling. "Why don't you go with her to the shop and pick up something nice for your hair? I still have some things to teach Homura-chan, so I can't go."

Kyoko frowned, narrowing her eyelids at Madoka. She knew that it was Madoka's way of urging them on to spent some time together.

But she didn't like how cheerful the pink haired waitress was being. It made her feel more embarrassed. She was certain that Madoka knew how she had felt. And she did not like to be teased.

She looked at Sayaka, who was sighing and fiddling with a strand of hair, a sight that made Kyoko's heart melt.

"Yeah," she said, trying to look away from her friend who was oddly frowning at the ceiling light above her, for some reason. Sayaka was an airhead sometimes, but Kyoko didn't mind this side of her one bit. "I'll go with her later."

Madoka pressed her lips closely together to avoid being overly cheerful. She had a feeling that Kyoko disliked being teased, so she tried her best to seem neutral.

Meanwhile, the redhead now sighed, when Sayaka asked her where they were going and why. She shut her eyes tightly and took a deep breath before telling Sayaka that they were going to buy some hairpins for her.

Poor Kyoko was deeply troubled. She was behaving strangely and she knew it. And moreover, as usual, her heart wouldn't stop beating so loud.

'Ah fuck,' she cursed in her thoughts. 'I gotta keep cool or Sayaka's gonna worry'

Kyoko sighed for the umpteenth time that day, while Madoka went to the kitchen to see what Homura was up to.

 **-(End of Chapter 13)-**

* * *

 _I have nice plans up ahead. It involves green hair. Wink wink._

 _._

 _Take Care  
DSH99_


	14. Of Parties and Dresses

**...**

 **[Chapter 14: Of Parties and Dresses]**

 **...**

Twin tendrils bounced in rhythm with Tomoe Mami's footsteps. She attracted the gaze of anyone and everyone who walked past her. It did not matter if the person was young or old, male or female. If Tomoe Mami walked by you, she would magnetize your attention. And she would do so, with absolutely no effort whatsoever.

Maybe it was her elegant, formal, yet ladylike clothing. Maybe it was her eyes and hair, which were akin to that of a westerner. Or maybe it was just her radiant, warm aura.

It was, is, and always will be a mystery.

Her smile came into being and widened almost instantly when she saw a shorter, much younger girl making a beeline towards her from her school gates. She had a red backpack, and she lunged and clung on to Mami as soon as she was within arm's reach.

"Nagisa!" The blonde gasped, slightly drawing back from surprise, upon getting tackled-slash-hugged.

"Sorryyy…." The silver haired girl whined as her grip around Mami loosened. Her eyes conveyed that she wasn't apologetic at all. Mami could see the mischievous glint behind her eyes.

Mami sighed, the smile still on her face, before taking Nagisa's hand into her own and walking down the road.

"Lets go, Nagisa," she said, her eyes taking a quick glance at her wristwatch. "We have a dinner party today, don't we?"

Nagisa's salivary glands started to tingle as soon as she heard the word dinner and party in the same sentence. She knew today was a special day.

"Yes we do!" Nagisa said, in English, something which Mami giggled softly at.

Sometimes, Nagisa would speak words that were not Japanese. On the most part, it was English, something which Mami had no problem in understanding. But on other occasions, she would speak German. Mami didn't know a single German word. But she was planning to do so, in order to be on equal speaking terms with Nagisa at all times.

The two walked, hand in hand. The shorter girl hummed a tune she had heard earlier that day in music class, while the taller one kept a keen eye on the traffic lights whenever they had to cross a road.

It was a good day for walking, as the two merrily made their way towards the house in which the Tomoe family lived. It was sunny, but not humid, and there was the occasional gusts of wind that came by. Soon, they were already at the house.

Actually, one would note that it wasn't a house, but in fact a mansion, complete with a foyer and steel gates that led to a circular driveway around a fountain.

Mami always sighed whenever she entered through the gates in a car. Now that she walked through it, she felt quite rebellious.

The two walked up the driveway and Mami checked her watch again. Nagisa didn't know why she was so conscious of the time, but she did not care. When there was food in the horizon, Nagisa would make that priority one. Therefore, as soon as the two entered the main doors, Nagisa removed her shoes, and made a beeline to the kitchen.

She entered the large kitchen, and her eyes scanned the room for a certain maid, and when she found her, she lunged towards her with all her might.

"Saotome," Nagisa said to the maid, who was clearly in shock from the tackle. "Provide… the cheesecake."

Her eyes shone with a certain glint, and the maid smiled at her, now coming to her senses. She did not mind the lack of honorifics. Nagisa was a good kid, and she loved her as much as she loved Mami.

"Certainly, Nagisa-chan," she said, taking the little girl's hands into her own and gently guiding her towards the refrigerator. She brought out a medium sized white cake, and cut out several slices from it and served them to Nagisa, one on each plate, all served on a tray.

Nagisa insisted that she take the tray up to Mami's room herself, and after some persuation, Saotome, the maid, agreed. She giggled to herself, when little Nagisa tried her best to not let her mouth water at the sight of baked divinity in front of her.

Mami was already in her room when Nagisa made her way in. It was an unusually large room, but it looked like it had not been used for some time. After all, that was the case. Mami lived with Nagisa in an apartment, and she did so out of her own free will. Nagisa was none to complain. She trusted Mami more than she did herself.

The room in the Tomoe Manor wasn't used as a result, but it was cleaned everyday. Especially during events like a party or a fundraiser, when Mami had to stay and get dressed up, she couldn't do it from her apartment. So she came here on occasion with Nagisa, and when the event was over, would migrate to her apartment once more and resume her daily life.

"Cheesecake!" Nagisa said, unable to hold her excitement in. "Do you want any?"

Mami could see it in Nagisa's eyes that she didn't really *want* to share. She giggled a little, and shook her head 'no' so that Nagisa could rest easy.

"But you can't eat more than two slices, Nagisa," Mami said, facing a mirror and untying her hair. "Your tummy will hurt if you eat that much cake."

Nagisa hummed a 'yes' and muched away. The delightful sensation of cheese sending ripples of euphoria through the nerve endings in her tongue. She loved all kinds of food. But cheese always held a special spot in her heart. Or was it her stomach? Honestly, she didn't care.

She knew Mami would forbid eating it all, so she tried to savor every bite of the cake slices. She had long since secured a spot in the bed while Mami stood at the dresser.

Mami held a hairband between her lips while she grabbed her hair in her fist. "Nagisa, when you're done, could you be a dear and ask Saotome-san about your dress? She should be done with it by now."

Nagisa hummed a positive response yet again, this time, her last spoonful resting in the infines if her mouth. The spoon was still in there, and she set the plate aside before she could skip out of the room.

"Nagisa," the last syllable was a bit stretched out, and it made the little girl stop in her tracks. "What do we do when we're done eating?" Mami was facing the mirror now, her eyes fixated on tidying up her ponytail.

"We take the plates to the kitchen," Nagisa said, her voice dropping slightly. She held the spoon in place with her teeth and grabbed the tray from the bed before leaving with a small sigh.

Mami smiled, turning her head to her sides to make sure she didn't have any stands of hair outside of the ponytail. And when she was satisfied, she walked her way into the closet.

It was a walk-in closet, one of the only things she wished she had in her apartment. It made organizing things much easier. She had stored many of her childhood artifacts in this place, despite her parents' decision of throwing them away. The blonde girl took a glance at various drawings she had done when she was younger. They were laminated and stuck to various parts of the walls. The box of used crayons were stored neatly in a corner, and was never touched after being kept there. Some plush toys of animals, along with a myriad of plastic cutlery and teasets were also to be found, neatly arranged as precious relics. This was a special place for Mami, but now, she didn't come here to reminisce.

Mami picked a dress from the set of hung outfits, choosing something that had golden embroidery on white fabric. It had some accents of leather brown at various places too. A color combination she absolutely loved, for some reason. Other than the fact that the design was unique, the dress more or less looked very similar to the ones princesses wear in movies.

This was her outfit for tonight. She had made up her mind.

* * *

"Nagisa-chan," the maid said with a kind tone. "…please give the spoon back."

Nagisa looked straight into her eyes, her face turning into a glare.

"No."

The piece of silverware was kept in Nagisa's tiny mouth, and kept secure with her little teeth.

"You will hurt herself if you fall by accident, so please. If you do not want to give it back, please do remove it from your mouth."

"…no."

"I will never make cheesecake if you don't leave the spoon alone, dear child." Saotome, the maid in question, kept a straight face as she said this.

Nagisa's eyes widened at the maid's words.

"…That is what Japanese people call a… _'bluff'_ , right?"

"…No."

Nagisa glared again, but returned the spoon, albeit doing so very reluctantly and slowly.

The maid nodded and received the spoon with a smile before setting in the sink to be washed.

"You'll make them now, right?"

"Of course. You have my word. Also please tell Tomoe-sama that the dress is being sent upstairs."

Nagisa's little frown didn't go away when she reluctantly pulled herself away from the kitchen. The prospect of not getting cake didn't seem to sit well with her. She ran up the stairs and darted to Mami's room again.

"Mami!"

The blonde was almost done with her outfit. She merely had to adjust a few ribbons here and there. She wanted to do her hair as well.

"What is it?" came the seemingly absent-minded response. "Did you ask about the dress?"

"Yes I did," Nagisa said while she climbed up on the bed. "Its gonna be here soon."

As if on cue, there was a knock on the door, and from outside came the voice of another maid.

"Tomoe-sama," the maid's quiet and graceful tone could be identified even through the closed door. "The dress has arrived."

"Ah," Mami stood up, and proceeded to receive the neatly folded bundle from the maid. After taking it, the maid politely excused herself and left.

"Nagisa-chan," she said, laying out the dress on the bed flatly. "Get undressed. I'll help you wear it." The little girl hummed a response and felt excited to wear a new dress.

* * *

The rest of the day was spent getting prepared. Mami and Nagisa had to fix their hair, and the two also tried on some subtle makeup. Nagisa wanted to try the strawberry flavored chapstick herself, something that Mami hesitated to do at first, but later agreed, as long as Nagisa wouldn't try to lick it off. Mami knew Nagisa would do it anyway. While the two spent their day getting ready, the maids and butlers were busy making the dishes and preparing the tables. It was a toilsome effort, but they completed the task with practiced ease and grace, like clockwork.

The lobby was soon turned into something straight out of an old film. Tables which were adorned with numerous types of dishes, were arranged near the walls. There were also seats available if any group wanted to chat. In the center, right below the chandelier, was an open space, which was hilariously dubbed 'minglespace' by Mami. Red and black carpets were spread over the floors, and the room's glow was set to a warm hue. After they were all done, some classical slow piano piece was played at a low volume.

If anyone were to walk into the manor through the front doors, they would be in this room, and they would immediately be served a glass of champagne. In an instant, they would feel the luxury they have never felt anywhere before, regardless of their social stature. After all, that was the sheer power of good atmosphere.

When a few guests started to appear in the evening, the doors were widely open, and the fountain outside was lit up in a warmly tinted stream. The piano music was adjusted to play in a slightly louder volume, so that the newcomers would be able to listen if they had stood close to the door.

At that moment, Mami and Nagisa were done with all their preparations. Sayaka and Kyoko were invited, along with Madoka. The former duo always agreed to attend parties thrown by the Tomoe family, while the pink haired barista came and mingled with guests. She would subtly advertise her cafe when she talked, but she did so very sparingly. After all, she was honestly more interested in meeting and talking with people. Advertising came second to that.

Mami spent her time talking with the guests. She maintained an air of elegance while she did. She asked everyone if they were enjoying their time, and if they needed anything else. The guests were happy to see the young Tomoe care about all of them. The newer guests were oddly fascinated that the girl was doing what the maids and butlers were supposed to do. It was quite odd, but nobody held a bad opinion of her. On the contrary, they felt more strongly attached to her.

The blonde clasped hands and slowly surveyed the room. Her eyes shifted to observe her friends.

Sayaka and Kyoko on the other hand, were doing things randomly. They ate, talked casually with people who were apparently of similar age, huddled together in the seats in the corner and discussed their latest bouts in binge-watching anime. It was an unplanned set of events, but the two were satisfied with it. Thus, they were in their own little world, and Mami was not going to spoil that by interfering.

Nagisa was busy playing with other children of her age, something Mami had asked her to do instead of lurking around the food tables. Mami felt happy and she giggled quietly to herself at the sight of Nagisa teaching the others how to play tag. The kids looked at Nagisa with delight and wonder, for they were sheltered children in rich houses who don't get to play with other kids often.

Madoka, on the other hand, was sitting alone, in one of the chairs near a wall. She had a forlorn look on her face and she was looking down at her feet, twiddling her thumbs aimlessly. Mami didn't often see her friend like this, so such a sight sent her into a state of worry. She frowned and hurried her way towards the teen.

"Madoka-san," Mami said, concern in her voice. The girl in question looked up and stared directly at the blonde after hearing her words. "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

From up close, Mami had a better look at her friend's outfit. Madoka was in a simple pink party dress, nothing above or below average. Her hair was up in a neat bun, with two sticks protruding from it. She had worn no other piece of jewelery except for a pair of drop earrings that her mother had given her.

"No," she said, trying to muster a weak smile. "I am okay. Don't worry about it."

Mami knew it was a lie, and Madoka could tell that she didn't get past her friend's keen senses.

"Umm," she said again. "I don't know... I have no idea why I'm feeling like this."

Mami smiled, happy that her friend was willing to open up. Now she could help. Queitly, she sat in the empty chair beside her, now both of them facing the crowd of the party.

"Its okay, Madoka-san," Mami said in a warm tone, the sound of Chopin creating a barrier between the two of them and the others. "I'm all ears."

"...Thanks," Madoka said, not trying to hide anything. "I am honestly not sure why I'm feeling like this. If I knew, I would have done something about it."

Mami trusted her. She knew she wasn't lying.

"I see," she looked at Nagisa playing with the other kids as she spoke. "I suppose something happened recently, and maybe that very something is bothering you. If you run through the events one by one, you'll find what you're looking for."

Madoka bit her bottom lip and tried to follow Mami's advice. She thought about her day, and in an instant, a frown adorned her face.

"That was quick," Mami said jokingly, trying to lighten the mood. "So, what is bothering my dear friend Madoka this fine night?"

Madoka turned sideways and looked directly into Mami's eyes. Her frown remained, but her cheeks grew pink, just like her dress.

"Homura-chan isn't bothering me!" Her voice wasn't loud, but it was laced with an urge to defend. It was an impulsive sentence she had uttered. She realized her mistake as soon as she had said it.

Mami now looked at Madoka's gradually reddening face, while she smiled coyly at her.

"So its Akemi-san," Mami said. She didn't get to tease her friends at all, so this was a welcome opportunity. Besides, Madoka's face didn't show guilt. Just embarrassment. "How interesting... What did she do to make you so flustered?"

Madoka looked down swiftly and covered her face with her hands, her red ears now clearly visible for the blonde to witness. She groaned in annoyance, maybe at her own display of embarrassment. After a while, she had recovered, her tomato-red cheeks now tinted a rosy pink like before. She took a deep breath and bit her lip again, before finally facing Mami.

"Well," Madoka started, her eyes not being able to meet Mami's. "Its not something **_she_** did... It was something that... _**I** _ did."

 **-(End of Chapter 14)-**

* * *

 _The green haired plot will begin in the next chapter. Sorry about the delay again. I just signed up for a college, and had to assemble all the documents._

 _The new chapter is halfway done so will up it soon._

 _._

 _Take Care_

 _DSH99_


	15. Of Eyes and Troubles

**...**

 **[Chapter 15: Of Eyes and Troubles]**

 **...**

Madoka fiddled with the fabric of her dress, and looked down as Mami listened with all her attention.

"Well," the pink haired girl started. "It happened today, when we were about to close up shop."

* * *

"Homura-chan," the pink haired teen asked, a growing concern in her voice. "We need to talk."

The last customer had already left, and the cafe was empty. It wasn't the usual closing time, so there was quite some time left before sunset.

Madoka's parents had gone to the market, while her brother was out playing with his friends at the nearby park.

It was five in the afternoon, which meant closing time.

"Sure. What do you want to talk about?" Homura asked, untying her apron's back laces.

Madoka didn't respond to that, which made Homura cautious. Did she miss something? Did she do something wrong today? Did she accidentally make a customer mad?

Her brain searched for a postive answer to any of those questions, but it could not find one. Homura could therefore rest easy, knowing that Madoka wasn't going to blame her for anything.

The pink haired girl sat at one of the high stools near the counter, and pulled another stool beside her. Then she turned sideways, faced the empty stool, patted on the seat and looked at Homura.

It took some moments for the timid girl to understand what Madoka meant, but she got it eventually. She nodded and finished folding her apron into a neat bundle, setting it atop the counter before sitting in her spot.

Madoka was facing her and there was barely a foot of distance between her eyes and Homura's. This was slightly uncomfortable for the raven haired girl. She wasn't wearing her glasses, and thus, there was nothing between them except air.

"So," Madoka began. "First, I need to know if you can see well without your glasses. Don't say yes if it is not true. I honestly need to know how your eyesight is."

Madoka was serious. There was a light frown on her face, and it was very subtle.

Also, Homura didn't know why she would be asked such a question. She had no reason to suspect the motive behind this curiosity, however. So she answered with no hesitation.

"I can see perfectly," she said, a calmness in her voice. "They are my reading glasses, and they also help me focus when working with small electronic parts, so I tend to wear them most of the time."

Madoka breathed an audible sigh of relief when she heard this. She had been feeling guilty of not letting Homura wear her spectacles. But now, it seems she was worrying over nothing.

Homura's head tilted slightly in confusion at Madoka, something that made the pink haired girl squee in delight on the inside. The look of confusion was similar to that of a puppy. She really wanted to take a picture of her friend being confused.

But in the midst of fawning over her friend, Madoka noticed something crucial.

"Hey, Homura-chan," Madoka said, her expression blank. "Look at me."

Homura felt even more confused. She was looking at her friend.

"Okay."

"No, I mean," Madoka said, her frown returning. "Look at my eyes."

Homura didn't think twice. She always followed Madoka's instructions blindly in the cafe, so she didn't care to hesitate now.

And thus, Akemi Homura stared into the eyes of the girl in front of her.

And in an instant, all hell broke loose.

"Umm," Madoka frowned again, seeing her friend being visibly pale. "You okay?"

Homura was stunned. Her breathing became slow and uneven, but her gaze didn't waver. She could hear her heartbeat through her ears. It was so loud that it drowned out the voice of her friend.

The poor girl was petrified.

Madoka's light concern grew to visible worry. She didn't know what her friend was going through, but it wasn't anything good. By now, she was trembling. Her back was straight and unmoving. If she hadn't been shaking, she would have resembled a sitting mannequin.

"Homura-chan," Madoka said, her voice now warm, and filled with care. She had to tread lightly. She took her friend's hands and held them carefully in her own. "Its okay. You don't have to be afraid."

The raven haired girl was suddenly somewhat in control of her thoughts. She wasn't petrified any more, and she gained some of her faculties back. But she was still unable to speak. She was still trembling.

At that moment, Madoka knew what was going on. All the signs pointed towards one thing. Her dear friend was having an anxiety attack.

"I wondered how you were suddenly able to talk with all of us and our customers so easily," Madoka said, with a little smile. There was no malice in her words. "You were not looking at their eyes when you talk, right?"

Homura managed to nod, but it came out in jagged movements, legible enough for Madoka to understand.

"What were you looking at then?"

Homura's piercing gaze shifted slightly towards the forehead of the pink haired girl. At this close of a range, Madoka knew where she was looking. This wouldn't have been noticeable at their usual distances.

"Forehead, huh?" Madoka took a deep breath, her smile not falling in the slightest.

Homura was sure that the girl would laugh at her right about now. Because she knew that she was utterly worthless. She couldn't even look people in the eye and tell them something simple.

Not even her dear friend.

So why should she deserve to be Madoka's friend?

Tears began to form in Homura's eyes, and it was ready to fall any moment. She was on the verge of breaking down, trying to endure the cold pit that began to form in her stomach.

But that is when Madoka did what she thought to be the best course of action. With her left hand holding Homura's slender right one, she used the other hand to stroke her head. She slowly, but firmly ran her fingers through the black hair, all the while trying to console the timid girl with little whispers.

"Its going to be fine.

"I'm here with you."

"There's nobody here but us."

"I won't think of you any less if you no matter what."

"Breathe."

Homura softened at every word Madoka uttered, the gentle warmth of her voice calming her down to an extent. She still couldn't say anything in return. The feeling of the girl's hand on her head made her feel at ease.

She knew she was being irrationally anxious. She realized it was illogical of her to feel this way. But why didn't the realization of that fact make the horrible feeling go away?

Soon, Madoka used her hand to lift Homura's, guiding it carefully to her own chest, directly below her collarbones. She pressed Homura's slender, cold hand against her sternum.

"Can you feel that?"

Homura was confused. After a few moments of silence, however, she felt it.

Heartbeats. Fast paced rhythm, beating directly against the skin on her palm.

She wanted to say it, but as she couldn't vocalize her thoughts, she opted for nodding instead. Madoka smiled at her reply and continued.

"Its… fast, right?" She started to explain, closing her eyes. "Do you know why?"

Homura shook her head.

"Well," Madoka said, "Its because I'm scared. I'm scared and worried."

Homura frowned, as if to question the source of her troubles. Madoka giggled, knowing that even in the middle of crisis, her friend was still concerned for her. It made her melt, but she quickly shook it off.

"I'm worried about you, silly," Madoka said, her gaze lowered. "I wanted you to take this time inside the shop and improve your social skills. I was happy that you were able to improve, and I was surprised you were able to do it this fast. But you've been doing it wrong, you see?"

Homura listened closely as her friend continued.

"You have to look people in the eyes. Its not always the easiest thing to do, but if you don't do that, people will have a wrong impression of you. They will think you're being distant with them, even when you aren't."

Homura frowned. She knew she had it under control all this time. She had figured out that looking at people's eyebrows or their forehead made it easier for her to talk properly. She didn't quite know whether or not it was the right approach, but she had decided that it was the one she would go with.

Now, after listening to Madoka, she realized that she had it wrong. There is no way it would have been that easy for such a socially inexperienced person as herself to be able to converse so easily with complete strangers.

"I know how Homura-chan feels. I know she's not a bad person. She is a really good girl... But if you keep doing this, other people may not see you like that."

Homura's frown lightened, but she continued to listen. Madoka clasped Homura's hand a bit more firmly, using both her hands this time, making sure she was still aware of her beating heart.

"Its okay for you to be afraid... Its okay to make mistakes. Its okay to say anything you want to say. Its okay to do anything you want to do," Madoka's gaze pierced into Homura's eyes. "We all make mistakes, and we are all afraid. But you need to overcome that fear and not let it control you... We all have to do that one point in our lives."

Homura did not expect her friend to impart such wisdom. She was honestly surprised.

"So look me in the eyes and stare as long as you need to. I am not going anywhere," she smiled. "Say anything you want to. I'll not think of you any less... All I want, is for you to not be afraid."

Homura swallowed the lump in her throat. She licked her dried-up lips and tried to resume breathing normally. She needed to vocalize, or her friend would worry.

After several failed attempts, she finally opened her mouth.

"A-Alright…" she managed to say. "I will do my best."

Madoka smiled widely at her reply, noticing that she was not as scared as before.

"And I'll support you all the way."

Homura tried to smile in return, but she wasn't able to manage anything more than a half-smile. She wasn't unhappy. She was not euphoric either. But she felt a degree of reliability, and she knew that Madoka was the one who provided that.

The pink haired girl then used a thumb to gently wipe away a teardrop from the edge of Homura's eyes. But something strange happened as she was about to do that.

The shy girl held onto Madoka's wrist, and nested her cheek in her hand. She had her neck crooked, ever so slightly, as her cheek nuzzed against the palm of her friend's hand.

"Your hand is warm," came the meek sound of Homura's voice. Her eyes were aimed at Madoka, but they were oddly glassy and lacked even the slightest amount of fear.

Madoka's stomach fluttered as soon as she became aware of how it all looked. Homura looked quite… vulnerable. And it made her feel a bit strange inside. Her heartbeat sped up, and thankfully, Homura's hand was now not on her chest. Otherwise, she would have felt it beating alarmingly fast.

Even faster than before.

She felt warmth rush to her cheeks and she began to feel her breathing pace change.

Madoka tried to shake her odd feelings away. She was just helping her friend. There was no reason to feel this tensed. Why did she feel this way, she did not know. She was not even aware of exactly **_what_** she was feeling.

So she did what she could do, and ignore it as a whole.

"Its going to be late if we stayed like this any longer," Madoka said, trying to lighten the mood. She also smiled, so that Homura may not mistake it for anything but a joke.

The girl in question snapped back to reality after hearing that. She let the hands of her friend go, and wiped away any possible tears that may have pooled in her eyes with her wrists. She shifted her gaze away, trying to hide her embarrassment.

Madoka chuckled slightly at the sight of her friend looking abashed. It was a rare sight seeing Homura being so expressive without her glasses. So Madoka subconsciously tried to burn it to memory.

The two eventually got up from their counterside seats, the dark haired one packing her things while the pink haired one keeping on a composed, wise smile that served to alleviate the awkwardness between them.

Homura had looked at Madoka directly in her eyes, and bid farewell before she left. Madoka smiled and said goodbye.

As soon as she saw the dark-haired girl exit the cafe and walk off, she wasted no time. Her demeanor changed completely and she ran up to her room as soon as she physically could. As soon as she was in her room, she shut the door, locked her door and jumped into her bed. Facefirst.

She buried her face into a pillow and screamed at the loudest voice she could muster. She wasn't sure if it was a high pitched shriek, or an actual scream. But she did it for several long seconds before she was out of breath.

She then turned around and faced the ceiling, hugging a pillow very close to her. She was panting, her face was flushed.

And she had no idea what made her vent out in such a weird fashion. She tried to figure it out, but later chalked it out to be a fluke.

Yes, of course. It had to be a fluke. Maybe she had a lot of soy recently and that made her hormones act up?

Little Madoka had no idea how wrong she was. She couldn't fathom how the day went. So she merely ignored what she felt.

After several long minutes of looking blankly at the ceiling and doing absolutely nothing, Madoka sighed and got up from her bed. She walked her way into the kitchen to make some snacks for her family when they return.

* * *

"Wow," the blonde said, her eyes wide in surprise. Her lips curled up into a coy smile in moments. "Somebody is quite the bold one."

Madoka grunted to herself in embarassment, and sighed.

"I don't know why this even bothers me now," she said, her eyes clearly in a frown. "I mean, I would've done the same for any of my friends. But why is this feel so weird?"

"I can assume the reason," Mami said, her eyes now focused on the crowd. "But I think you are just as aware of the reason as I am."

Mami didn't need to look at Madoka to know that she was blushing from ear to ear.

"...Yeah," the pink haired girl said as she buried her face in her hands for the umpteenth time that night. "I kind of pieced it together a while ago. But I was hoping I wasn't right."

"Why?"

"Because she might not feel the same way," Madoka replied, not hesitating in the slightest. "And because it would be a mistake. What if she doesn't want to talk to me anymore if she knows?"

Mami could feel the aura of fear her friend was radiating. It was not a healthy train of thought.

"I suppose that is a possibility," Mami said. Madoka was a bit surprised. She expected some form of resistance. Not that she minded, but she didn't expect the supportive Mami to say that of all things. "I trust your judgement, Kaname-san."

"...Okay."

"However, I don't approve of bottling yourself up," Mami said sternly. "It will not end well if you do so. I suggest taking some time to process how you will be interacting with her from now on. If it becomes too much to bear, you have Miki-san, Sakura-san and me. We will offer you our shoulders."

"Alright," Madoka said, her mind somewhat stable after opening up to Mami. "I might do just that."

Mami took a moment to glance at her friend. She was deep in thought. The blonde decided to give her some space to process all her thoughts. After a casual excuse, she stood up from her seat and started to walk towards the other side of the room. Before she could do that, however, the pink haired girl called her out, making her look back.

"Thank you."

Mami smiled, nodded and continued walking towards her other friends.

Her eyes scanned the lobby for a pair of red and blue. And soon, she found it.

 **-(End of Chapter 15)-**

* * *

 _Okay, yes. I did say next chapter, but I couldn't help myself. I wanted this chapter to carry some weight, and the focus to be only on one pairing._

 _It doesn't sound believable in theory, but believe me. I tried._

 _But yes, next chapter for certain. I promise._

 _._

 _Take Care_

 _DSH99_


	16. Of Deals and Acquaintances

**...**

 **[Chapter 15: Of Deals and Acquaintances]**

 **...**

Mami looked at Sayaka and Kyoko who were sitting in a separate lounge space reserved for group chats in a corner of the room. Kyoko was sitting still, and the other girl was leaning on her friend's shoulder, seemingly deep in slumber.

It was an odd sight up-close, Mami thought to herself. She wasn't accustomed to seeing her friends sleeping. Kyoko immediately darted her eyes at the blonde when she had come close, and relaxed once she saw it was just Mami. Her eyes fell on Sayaka's face again, as she leaned back against the couch. The bluenette was resting her head on Kyoko's shoulder, and the latter did her best in not waking her up.

"Hello, Sakura-san," Mami said, trying to not talk so loud as to wake Sayaka. "You two enjoying yourselves tonight?"

Kyoko's gaze reverted back to Mami and she maintained her unmoving torso.

"Yeah, I guess so."

Mami noticed Kyoko's face was filled with worry.

"Something amiss?" Mami asked, taking a seat opposite to Kyoko. "If something is bothering you, I can listen. I might not be able to solve it, but sharing may help."

Kyoko noticed Mami's frown, and she smiled.

"Nah, its fine," Kyoko said. "I am doing okay. I'm just worried about Sayaka is all."

The hotheaded teen looked calm and collected, as she stared at Sayaka's sleeping face. She decided to tell Mami about her worries after all.

"The thing is," Kyoko started. "We met Hitomi the other day. When we were out in the market to buy some hairclips."

Mami took a deep breath and took the seat at Kyoko's opposite. The readhead then proceeded to tell her friend the details of the day in question.

* * *

"No, I'm just saying I'll wait for the second season to come out before I catch up on the Manga," Sayaka said with the utmost confidence. "Anime is a superior form of entertainment after all."

"I get it. You wanna be patient an' all. But that was fuckin' out of line," Kyoko frowned and retorted, as if her base principles were in risk. "Manga is better in every way. Its the fuckin' source, I tell ya."

"Fuck no," Sayaka said, a smug grin on her face. "Anime's superiority applies as long as you watch the cherry picked series after going through all the online reviews."

Kyoko was at a loss. Whenever technology was at play, she would automatically lose an argument. But today, she didn't want to lose. Not even a bit.

The two continued to walk down the road, towards the mall. They were almost near the plaza when Kyoko tried her best to come up with a decent counter-argument.

"So what," she said, trying to find some leverage in logic. "I can say the same about Manga too."

Sayaka's eye twitched. Kyoko, being well versed in the ways of Sayaka's subtle expressions, knew that she was close to victory.

"But, compared to the stunning vis-"

Kyoko's head turned to Sayaka as the latter stopped dead in her tracks. The readhead frowned, and non-verbally asked what was wrong? Sayaka did not answer. Nor did her gaze shift from the thing she was looking at.

Kyoko started to worry. Sayaka looked as if she had just seen a ghost. The readhead followed her line of sight, until she found exactly what Sayaka was looking at. It was a boy and a girl, both about their age. Kyoko never saw them before, so she was mostly clueless about Sayaka's thoughts.

However, when the two came near, the boy called out to Sayaka, in a way that would make anyone certain that the two were close friends.

Sayaka swallowed down her reluctance in a brief moment of panic, before she answered to the call.

"Kyosuke."

It was a meek voice, just low in volume, but not weak. Almost akin to a whisper.

But everyone heard it. Even Kyoko.

The redhead began to piece everything together. Sayaka once told her about how Kyosuke and Sayaka were on good terms, and how another girl created some form of rift between the two without even knowing. Her eyes darted towards the girl who was standing near the boy.

Green, seaweed-like hair, tied into a decent looking braid that fell down the front of her shoulder. Her clothes weren't very fancy. Just a pair of grey shorts and a navy blue t-shirt that said something in English. Kyoko's English was not very good. She could identify the letters from her t-shirt, but she couldn't tell what it meant or said. The girl had an odd air about her. It was as if she carried a surreal amount of wisdom. Maybe it was a certain glint in her eyes that gave that sort of impression, or maybe it was her posture.

She was also wearing a pair of glasses, with a slim frame.

Kyoko could figure who this was, or at least, she could take her best guess.

Hitomi.

The girl that trampled on Sayaka's heart three years back, and wasn't even aware of it. Kyoko knew she was letting her own feelings towards Sayaka cloud her judgement and make her irrationally angry. In fact, she was perfectly aware that Hitomi never did anything bad to Sayaka on purpose. She never knew of Sayaka's unrequited feelings.

Kyoko took a deep breath and looked at Sayaka, who looked stunned, answering 'yes' or 'no' to any and all of Kyosuke's words. The redhead chuckled inwardly, and knew that she was worrying over nothing. Rifts, friendships, unrequited feelings, it was all in the past.

Also, if she did not step in to save Sayaka at this time, who would?

"Umm," Kyoko started, trying to supress he dialect. "Want to introduce me to them, Sayaka?"

It was out of nature for Kyoko to act so civilized. It would have made her sick to do it any other day. But now, it was going to serve a purpose. And thankfully, it paid off.

Sayaka broke out of her trance, and regained her bearings.

"O-oh, ummm... Kyoko," Sayaka started, licking her top lip in nervousness. "This is Kyosuke and that is Hitomi." Sayaka's gaze traveled towards Hitomi, who was waving hello with both her hands. She sighed and continued. "Guys, this is my friend Kyoko."

The redhead was used to being called Sayaka's friend and nothing more. It hurt before, but now, it was as if she was numb. She had grown to accept the words for now. She was hopeful for the future when she would no longer be Sayaka's 'friend'. It made her heart flutter and her stomach warm.

"Hey there, uhh... Kyoko-san," Kyosuke said, clearly conflicted about calling a girl by her first name. Kyoko snickered inwardly at the boy's anguish. She wasn't a sadist, but for this occasion, she was willing to make an exception.

"Yeah, hey Kyosuke," Kyoko held back the desire to laugh as she added fuel to the flame. The boy was now out of words to say. His mouth wavered and his eyes were stuck in a frown as he tried to process the fact that a random girl on the street was being so familiar with him.

Hitomi noticed the look of mild sadism in Kyoko's eyes, and the lost expression that Sayaka wore on her face. Clearly, they were not going anywhere without a push.

"Ah," Hitomi started, grabbing the attention of all three people. "Lets catch up over some ice-cream! I know a place that sells the best ones. Sayaka-san and Kyoko-san, you come too."

Kyoko mentally thanked Hitomi for removing some of the awkwardness Sayaka was feeling. But she also felt a bit sad that her time subtly torturing Kyosuke's morals were over. Well, like all good things, it must come to an end. Kyoko understood this, so she sighed and followed Sayaka and Kyosuke to the shop Hitomi led them towards.

Kyosuke was the first to speak up when all of them were at the entrance of the ice-cream parlor.

"Hitomi-san," he said, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "I'll go buy the staff paper now. You guys start eating. I'll be back in a while. Don't wait for me."

Sayaka hummed a positive response, and Hitomi just gave him a thumbs-up. Kyoko didn't care. She was enamored by the display of wonderful flavors of ice-cream she never knew existed.

The three of them sat at an empty table meant for four. The seat beside Hitomi was untaken, while Kyoko and Sayaka sat facing her. Kyoko was already nose-deep in the menu, trying to choose between several mouth watering flavors. Sayaka smiled at Kyoko's display of childishness, and was blissfully unaware of the fact that the redhead kept her eyes and ears peeled in careful observation.

"So," Hitomi was the first to break the silence. "I was out of the city for a while. What's new about Miki Sayaka?"

"You were gone for less than a year, so not much has changed for me," Sayaka said as she sighed. She finally broke out of her awkwardness, probably due to the fact that Kyosuke was not in the vicinity. "Where did you go anyway? You never contacted any of us, or told us. Not that we mind, but you've changed a lot."

"I went on a trip to the countryside, to stay with a relative. Couple of old folks, bad reception. You know the deal," Hitomi said as she chuckled heartily. "I ended up liking it a lot, so I overstayed. Got into a school over there and got readmitted into our high-school when I came back."

Sayaka looked at Hitomi aimlessly as the latter snapped back to reality.

"Oh," Hitomi said, slightly flustered. "I'm just rambling on. Sorry about that. Anyway, what will you two have?"

"Chocolate and mint," Kyoko said, quite unexpectedly. "Sayaka?"

"Y-yeah... I'll have what you're having."

The three placed their order and once the bowls of ice-cream were in front of them, they resumed their conversation. Kyoko decided to speak only when spoken to.

"Kyosuke has changed," Sayaka said, as her fingers toyed with the spoon in her hand. "We never talked after you guys got together. Seems like he's more... outspoken and expressive."

Hitomi took a spoonful of her own strawberry ice cream, as she hummed a response, clearly not giving much seriousness into the conversation. She spoke only when the ice-cream was not in her mouth.

"Yeah," she started, her gaze shifting between Sayaka's eyes and her own bowl. "He kind of did change, huh? Well, not like I'll get back with him even if he does."

Sayaka's eyes widened, and her mind narrowed down to one thought.

"You mean... you guys broke up?"

"Oh yeah. I never told anyone about it. Fuck." Hitomi's eyes frowned as she swore. "I was pretty depressed at that time, and decided to stay in a far away place after we broke up. I forgot to tell anyone about it. Sorry, Sakaya."

On normal circumstances, Sayaka would be angry that her friend didn't mention such a crucial life event to her. But this was an exception.

If Kyosuke and Hitomi broke up, and if Hitomi left to stay in the countryside immediately afterwards, then a year has passed since the two were not together. This particular notion made Sayaka slightly hopeful, and happy. She did her best to hide her feelings, but Kyoko, sitting beside her, knew what she was thinking. After all, she was the one who spent most of her time talking with Sayaka.

After Sayaka non-verbally said she was ok with it, Hitomi dove into her bowl of ice-cream.

"You should talk with him though. You might get why he seems so... different. I am out of the loop, and I just got back a few days ago, so yeah."

"Yeah okay," Sayaka said, as she started eating from her own bowl, which was neglected up until now.

But at that moment, Hitomi did something strange. She had a spoon in her mouth and folded her arms together. Her ice-cream was finished, while Kyoko's and Sayaka's bowls were not. Her eyes switched between Kyoko and Sayaka and after a few moments of observation, she said it.

"So, you two seeing each other?"

* * *

"Oh my..." Mami interjected, as Kyoko looked at the floor with an expression Mami had never seen before. It was a form of hurt, if she were to guess by just looking. Mami knew about Kyoko's feelings towards the airheaded Sayaka. So she understood Kyoko's feelings to an extent, even if she couldn't empathize. "How did you two respond to that?"

"I just denied it and tried to not make it obvious. I think it worked. Sayaka just said the truth."

* * *

"Nah, we're just friends." The blue haired teen responded, with half closed eyes. "I'd know that if anyone said that, they'd be joking. But hearing this from the conservative Hitomi-chan... That is fucking rich."

Sayaka chuckled, as oblivious as ever to Kyoko's emotions. Not that the latter minded it in this scenario.

Hitomi laughed at Sayaka's words.

"In the past year, I sort of had a journey of self-discovery, you could say."

"I don't buy it. A few years ago, I was just joking around with Madoka one day when I complimented her cooking and asked her to be my wife. You kind of overreacted and went all, 'But that's forbidden love!' on us. You might have gotten a pair of glasses since then, but people don't really change that much, do they?"

Sayaka made sure to mock Hitomi's voice to add some extra flavor to her quip. She wasn't trying to be bitter. Maybe the appearance of Kyosuke made her slightly irrational with her words.

"Yeah... That did happen," Hitomi sighed. "But that is in the past. I really did turn over a new leaf recently. I'm more open-minded now. The old me was a stuck-up bitch and you'd all agree..."

Sayaka felt slightly guilty as she saw Hitomi become quite serious when she said those words.

It was true that Hitomi looked and acted very different. Not just the glasses, it was also true that the girl's personality seemed very different. She was not a meek girl anymore and she apparently cursed casually as well. It was common between Sayaka and Kyoko, but listening to Hitomi of all people do it, seemed to drive home the severity of the change.

It didn't progress from there onwards. Hitomi and Sayaka talked about little things, and Madoka. Kyoko was still reeling from the shock of someone implying her and Sayaka were going out.

The three were eventually done with their ice-cream, and Hitomi decided to pay the bill. Sayaka and Kyoko insisted they split the bill three ways, but Hitomi stayed adamant and said it was an apology for leaving school without telling any one of them.

Hitomi said something about buying shoes, and bid farewell to them and walked away somewhere after paying for the treat. Kyoko and Sayaka continued walking towards their original destination, the accessory stores.

The two decided to make a plan. They would split up and choose something for each other, but not themselves. Then, they'd tell each other about what they chose and decide on what to buy. Kyoko, too, wanted to buy a headband or something similar. So it was a decent plan for her as well.

The two of them eventually went in separate directions, and Kyoko was finally left alone to explore.

She wondered what kind of hairclip Sayaka would like. Maybe something that wasn't too flashy, but has some sort of meaning to Sayaka would seem fitting. Maybe Sayaka was pretty feminine in such regards, no matter how tomboyish she sometimes expressed herself to be. The thought of Sayaka in a sundress briefly took over her imagination, leaving her smiling like a fool. She didn't care what other people thought of her, so she didn't try to stop.

She went from store to store, using her subconscious mind to inspect the hair accessories and rate them, while her thoughts were focused on the conversation Sayaka had earlier with Hitomi. In her mind, Sayaka's outright denial to Hitomi's guess of them dating seemed to be playing on repeat. She knew she couldn't say anything about it, but it still hurt like hell.

'Not now, Kyoko,' she told herself. 'You'll get your chance later.'

With that, her mind focused on the stores, instead of hurtful things.

After a dozen or two stores, Kyoko managed to find something that caught her eye. She went closer into the store, trying to spot what it was. And she had found it. A store, secluded from the rest, selling just a few hair pins and some other cheap items. It was a miracle someone could stay in business even after selling so little. In a small tray, neatly arranged, were some golden pins, sparkling in the sunlight. It looked as if it could hypnotize anyone with just its presence.

The pins were of various interesting shapes, each of them different from the rest. She recognized some of them, as musical symbols she had seen in cartoons when she was younger. Somehow, she could tell that all of the symbols were related to something that has to do with music.

"Can I help you, miss?"

Kyoko looked up from her trance, to find a middle-aged woman behind the counter.

"Ah," she said, collecting herself. "These are very pretty. I want to buy it for someone."

"Is that so?" The woman said, walking around the counter to where Kyoko was. "You seem to be looking at them quite intensely. Having trouble choosing?"

Kyoko knew that the woman meant well. She was the owner of the shop, perhaps. She had a gentle smile on her face.

"I don't know much about music," Kyoko said, looking at the pins. "Can you tell me what each of them means?"

The woman frowned, looking at the tray. There were more than twenty pins there, each of them unique.

"There is a lot of them, and it would take much time. How about you describe the person and I'll choose the one that fits their personality?"

Kyoko smiled widely.

"She is cool and upbeat. Her friends like her. She never says no to a request. She's kind, emotional, loud, honest, and amazing." Kyoko smiled the whole time she spoke, but her eyes frowned as she continued. "She doesn't know it, and she will probably deny it, but the truth is... She is really strong on the inside."

Her words were slow, and she was careful enough to not speak in her dialect. Using proper, formal Japanese was not an issue, but consciously using it for every sentence was a pain.

The woman stared at the tray, her eyes calculating. She was whispering something to herself as her fingers danced around over the tray of hairpins.

"Strong, loud, helpful and amazing, huh?" the lady finally spoke, her fingers settling on one of the pins. She took it on her hand, and showed it to Kyoko. "I believe this is the one."

Kyoko looked at the pin. It was golden, like the rest of them. The design was a bit odd. Two italicized 'f'-s joined together by a horizontal line. She had never seen this symbol, and she had never heard of it either.

"This symbol here is called "Fortissimo", the lady said. "Whenever the music is supposed to get very loud and bright, this symbol is there. It doesn't only mean 'loud' either. It can also mean 'strong'."

Kyoko's heart and mind knew right then that this was the perfect gift for Sayaka. Something about the woman's smile made Kyoko sure of the fact that she was telling the truth. Without thinking, she blurted out the question.

"How much?"

"The pin is made of silver, but the shape on the top is made of gold... Its fifteen thousand yen."

Kyoko gulped. She did not expect that it would be so expensive. She was also aware that it could be a scam. After all, she knew nothing about jewelery. But it seemed unlikely. The store was small, and had only a few items. So the notion of the pins being expensive, could very well be true.

"Can't you give me a discount?"

Kyoko knew she wasn't supposed to buy. She was supposed to look around for something Sayaka would like, while the latter would look for something Kyoko would like. They had planned to purchase later. But she didn't care about the plan. Not now.

The lady looked deep into Kyoko's eyes, noticing that she had a look of pure desperation. She had never seen someone so intent on buying something from her store. It was as if she was willing to sell a piece of her soul for it. The woman found it charming. Maybe it was not a purchase for a friend after all.

"Hmm," she started, her eyes still fixed to Kyoko's. "Tell you what. I will lower the price, but in one condition. I will take a thousand yen now, and something very close to you. I will not sell or use the item you give me, you have my word. But when you have the money, you can pay me. Once I receive 10 thousand yen from you in total, I will give you your item back."

Kyoko took a moment to consider the offer, and did not hesitate.

She reached the back of her neck with her hands, and unhooked the necklace she had been wearing. It was a red and silver pendant, smaller than a thumb, and shaped like an arrow-head. It was a flat piece of polished ruby, held in place by steel.

The lady's mouth opened as she took a look at the pendant in front of her. It was nothing like she had ever seen before.

"Can I ask what this is?"

"Its..." Kyoko said, looking down. "Its something my mother gave me. I need to trust you if I am going to give it to you."

The woman looked into Kyoko's eyes again. It was full of sadness, as if she was on the verge of tears. She was doing her best to hold it back. The sight melted her heart. Up until now, she had a business-smile. But for some reason, she wanted to pull the girl into her arms and console her. She felt oddly guilty about taking the pendant as well.

"I don't think I can take something so valuable, miss..."

Kyoko swallowed her hesitations, took a deep breath and glared at the woman.

"Listen here," she said, her voice low. "I am going to give this to you, and I will take it back once I am done paying you. You better keep your word. Or else I will take it by force."

The lady knew Kyoko meant business. She was a bit intimidated, but she had nothing to fear. She had indeed planned on returning the item to Kyoko once she had paid for the piece of jewelery. But the threats made by Kyoko oddly made the shopkeeper feel less guilty.

"You have a deal, and my word, miss," She said to Kyoko. "I will look after this with my life."

Kyoko sighed in relief when she heard those words, and after giving the woman a thousand yen and the pendant, she received the pin in a fancy box, with a receipt stating the amount she had paid.

"Can I ask one thing before you go?" The lady called out to Kyoko, who was already starting to walk away. "The one you'll be giving it to... That is not a friend, is it?"

Kyoko smiled warmly, and turned back to answer.

"No..." she said, her voice sincere. "She's... far more special."

* * *

"You did WHAT?!"

"Relax," Kyoko said, trying to calm the excited Sayaka. "Think of this as an early birthday present."

"I mean, this looks like it would be expensive. How did you even pay for it?" Sayaka eyed the fancy box again and again.

"I bargained, and she gave me a good deal. It was expensive, but not that much, so don't worry about it."

"At least let me p-"

"Its a fuckin' gift ya moron. Jeez. You didn't even tell me if you liked it."

The two of them were sitting in a bench near the mall, and after hearing Kyoko, Sayaka realized she had not yet opened the box. Carefully, she unlidded the black velvety cover, and looked underneath.

A golden hairpin with a "Fortissimo" sign on it.

Her eyes widened, and she speechlessly picked it up, looking at it from a few other angles.

"I asked the store lady what it meant. She said it meant... 'being very loud, bright... and strong'. So I figured this would fit you perfectly."

"Kyoko," her voice was quite low in volume. When the readhead responded nervously with a hum, her volume increased by manifold. "I love it! I absolutely love it!"

She squealed like a kid, and hugged Kyoko tightly in glee. Before letting go, she planted a friendly kiss on her cheek. Of course, it was something very trivial for Sayaka to kiss a friend on the cheek, but Kyoko felt like as if her heart would explode right then and there.

Sayaka hummed a tune as she put up her slightly outgrown hair to the side, and fixed the pin into place. Her gaze was finally free of her bangs, and the beautiful hairpin was to thank for that.

"How do I look?" Sayaka twirled around, like a little girl, happy as ever. She was not feeling well this day, ever since Hitomi and Kyosuke showed up. But now, she felt better. All thanks to Kyoko.

"Stunning."

Kyoko did not lie. She spoke the first word that came to her mind, and chuckled when Sayaka posed like a model in front of a camera after hearing the compliment.

The journey home was not awkward. Sayaka hummed like she was the happiest girl on the planet, and Kyoko felt like she had accomplished something very amazing. Seeing Sayaka smile and be gleeful was something Kyoko innately desired, after all.

(SCENE BREAK)

"After that day," Kyoko said to Mami, her gaze still pointed down. "She started to act weird. I keep asking her about it, but she doesn't say what's wrong. So I thought us coming here today will take her mind of things, ya- ...you know?"

Kyoko had managed to tell Mami everything, without using her dialect. She had carefully left out the detail about her mother's pendant, so that Mami wouldn't offer to buy it back. She knew Mami would do it with the best of intentions, but this felt like a weight she needed to pull on her own.

"I think seeing Kyosuke-san has shaken her up a bit, after three whole years of no contact with him. Regardless of her feelings, they were very close friends before..." Mami said, looking at Sayaka, who was still asleep on Kyoko's shoulder. "Give her time. She is still conflicted about reconnecting with him and Hitomi-san. I'm sure she will be fine."

Kyoko looked at Sayaka again, her gentle breathing with her lips slightly apart making the redhead sigh.

"Yeah," she said in response. "Of course she'll be okay... Fortissimo, right?"

Mami took a glance at Sayaka's hair, now noticing that she was wearing the golden hairpin Kyoko had given her. She giggled softly at Kyoko's words, her gaze becoming warm.

"Yep... Fortissimo!"

 **-(End of Chapter 16)-**

* * *

 _Heya guys. Long time no see. Am back with a long chapter, because you waited long enough! See you in a week or two. Please leave a review if you can. I value every one of your opinions, with no exception. I mean it._

 _I don't know if Hitomi's character seems to weird, but if it does, its intentional. More details on that later._

 _But for now, I gotta sleep. Depression doesn't go away on its own haha._

 _._

 _Take Care  
DSH99_


	17. Of Fireworks and Promises

**...  
** **[Chapter 17: Of Fireworks and Promises]  
...**

(Present Day)

Kyoko was done. Her body was not able to deal with her exhaustion. After Mami's party ended, she had left with Nagisa and the blonde. Sayaka and Madoka went their own routes. Mami returned to her apartment with Nagisa, while Kyoko returned to hers. The blonde and the redhead did not live far apart. In fact, they lived in the same building, one floor away from each other. It was Mami who had managed to find a vacancy for Kyoko. The girl even offered to cover the living expenses, which Kyoko had no choice but to accept. Initially she thought it was a good deal to be freeloading. But her conscience eventually won, and she made plans to pay Mami back when she was more financially stable.

Kyoko washed her face, untied the ribbon in her hair and let it fall free. The ceiling fan was on, even on a winter day like this. Not that she would keep it on. It was just for a few minutes, till her body cooled down enough before sleeping. She sat on an edge of her bed, leaning her back against the wall.

The room was clean, simple, and had one bed. The difference between her place and Mami's was quite simple. It was empty. Not just due to the lack of furniture, but the lack of people. Sometimes, Kyoko curled up into a ball and cried alone in the cold, dark apartment. But that was a rarity, and it used to happen one or two years ago. Now, she was a lot more well-adjusted. Healthy meals, proper exercise, and good company made her bouts of depression go away.

Still, it was a much better place to live in, when compared to her make-shift tent under the bridge.

Kyoko took a look around the room, trying to think about future additions to the apartment.

There was only a TV, a small coffee table, a bed and a landline phone set, all four of which were already there. The TV was an old one, but it worked just fine. Aside from the bedsheets, the blankets, the clothes, and the hygiene products, she owned nothing. There were several issues of manga beside the coffee table. Those were borrowed from Sayaka.

Maybe she would buy an oven, she thought as she looked at the empty power sockets around the house. Yes, that would be a good purchase. That would enable her to eat leftovers. But then she would need a fridge so that the leftovers wouldn't get bad.

Her mind settled on not buying an oven for now.

She tried thinking about other things.

...Sayaka.

Yes, it had to be her. What else could she think of? She didn't really have much going for her anyway.

She closed her eyes and looked back at all the times they spent together.

Three years ago, she was just a sad girl who had run away from her house, only to live under a bridge. Alone. She did try stealing food from local fruit-vendors. It was a hit or miss. She never quite got skilled at it. The people nearby would ignore her, but sometimes the folk who lived by the river bed, shared their food with her.

Now, she just laughed whenever she thought of herself like that. So helpless and desperate.

Then came Sayaka.

A hurricane in the calm, event-less space of struggle Kyoko called home.

A girl who came to her for shelter from the rain, only to become her closest friend. Someone who stole her gaze, her focus, her thoughts, her mind, and her heart, and did not even know.

The redhead had already rested her head on the pillow, her back now laid flat on the bed. She didn't know when she had changed positions. She stared at the ceiling fan, which continued to spin. Her vision darkened as her body started to relax.

And in that last few moments before her slumber, she could not focus on anything except the fan that slowly faded to black.

* * *

(about 3 years ago)

It was the day before New Years. The local shrine had arranged a festival of sorts, for the final countdown. It was the annual tradition of the city. Kyoko and Sayaka had planned to attend, while Madoka and Mami said they would tag along. Sayaka had picked out two kimonos from her house, a sky-blue one that belonged to her, and a pink one with red accents that belonged to her mother. Kyoko was invited to come to the Miki-household, as the redhead's abode under the bridge would not be a suitable place to get changed.

It hurt Kyoko's pride to be wearing someone else's clothes and listen to someone else's demands. She did like being a free spirit after all. When she outright refused Sayaka's request to go to her house, she noticed her become disheartened. She did not feel comfortable with the idea of getting on Sayaka's bad side. So she found solace in the fact that she would only have to do this for one day.

And that brings us to this day. New Years eve.

Kyoko cleared her throat, tidied up the front of her hair strands, straightened the hem of her jacket as she rang the doorbell to Sayaka's house.

She did not know why she was feeling so nervous. Maybe the fact that she did not go inside another house ever since she had run away from her own had something to do with it. Or so she thought.

The one who opened the door was Sayaka's mother.

"Ah," a woman with long hair said, her head and torso peeking out of the door. The color of her hair was similar to Sayaka's if not a bit darker. "You must be Kyoko-chan! Come in. Come in."

The door was kept open for her to enter. Kyoko did not prepare to be met by Sayaka's mother at first. She did not know how to respond. So she nodded and went inside, trying to put her most polite self forward.

"Pardon the intrusion," she said, leaving her sandals as she went in.

"Sayaka's in her room so you go on ahead, dear. I'll be right with you in a moment," The older Miki said to the redhead, locking the door. She had a ladle in one hand, so Kyoko figured she had been cooking. "I swear, sometimes she is more like a son than a daughter. I'll have to help her with her kimono. Do you need a hand too, Kyoko-chan?"

Sayaka's mother looked frantic, as if she had to follow a schedule by the second, or she would detonate. Kyoko was surprised to see her urgency.

"Its gon' be okay," she said. "I can wear em properly. I can help her if ya want."

The woman grabbed Kyoko's hands with her own, the ladle making the grip a bit awkward.

"Oh, thank you," she looked as if she had a boulder lifted off her chest. "You are a Godsend, dear."

Kyoko chuckled a bit, before the woman hurried to the kitchen. Maybe she was cooking something that required intricate timing. Maybe that was why she was in such a hurry. The redhead could only wonder as she made her way up the staircase.

She knocked on Sayaka's door, which she knew was Sayaka's as some girly stickers with English words were stuck on it. If the English did not give it away, the glitter on the stickers most certainly would.

It was tacky. And knowing Sayaka, it was intentionally tacky. She hated glitter.

Sayaka wasted no time in opening the door, and as she did, she grabbed Kyoko's wrist and pulled her into the room without warning. The unsuspecting girl yelped, but it fell on deaf ears.

Kyoko was suddenly in Sayaka's space of unadulterated... well... Sayaka. Honestly, that is the only word she could use to explain it. The room was mostly covered in various posters, of music bands, anime and games she had never heard of. She could faintly remember some of them if she tried, but she didn't. There was a computer in one corner of the room, and on both sides of it, were a set of speakers she could think of as high-class. Moreover, the room's sides and corners also had small sized speakers, all of which were playing some song at a tolerable volume. The bass from the subwoofer made the floor vibrate occasionally with the beats, as the wails of the electric guitar in the song echoed through the room. There were t-shirts, shorts, books and manga laid across the room in a haphazard fashion. She found herself mesmerized by the lights as well, which were placed in a way that made the mess in her room look like modern art.

In short, there was no finer adjective than the word "Sayaka", to explain what the room looked like.

Kyoko was speechless. While Sayaka made sure she had locked the door properly, to ensure the sound didn't bleed out through the crack of the doors, Kyoko stood still behind her, her mouth agape and eyes wide.

"I thought you wouldn't come, Kyoko."

The girl looked oddly happy. Her hair was a mess, and was wearing a white t-shirt with the word " _Coldplay_ " on it, with a picture of something she didn't know. Maybe it was abstract? She was wearing shorts, but the t-shirt was a bit oversized, making it seem like she wasn't.

 _Was this the same Miki Sayaka she had befriended?_

Well, it was pointless to ask. Kyoko did know that the girl in front of her was a bag of surprises. By now, she was used to it all.

'Damn, at this point, if Sayaka started to fly and swing a sword around like an uncivilized pirate, I wouldn't be surprised', Kyoko thought. She did not know why those particular words sprung into her mind, but the mental image that came with them made her snort.

"Yeah... I figured 'what the hell could go wrong', and here I am."

Sayaka grinned, and she walked over to her bed, lowering the volume on her speaker with a remote as she did so. The bass was still notably present, but the vocals and riffs were slightly muffled. She pointed to two, neatly folded dresses in her bed. They were the two which Sayaka had told her about a few days earlier.

The pink one, owned by Sayaka's mother, was to be worn by Kyoko while the blue one, Sayaka.

"I suck at wearing these," She said, her hands now resting on her hips as she boasted. "Mom and I have this... thing. She teaches me every year how to wear one of these, and I make sure to forget it by the next."

Kyoko had never seen Sayaka act so proud over an inability to do something. She sighed, and decided to just not ask.

"Take your clothes off."

Kyoko's voice was dry, and nonchalant.

"Haha," Sayaka responded, humor in her voice. "Take me out to dinner first, mister."

Kyoko felt a bit irritated.

"Take yer damn clothes off. I'll help you wear em."

Sayaka murmured a faint "Oh" as she complied.

There was no shame or embarrassment between the two. Sayaka did blush initially, but it wore off quickly as she figured the both of them were girls anyway. Kyoko did not feel awkward, as she treated the process as the times she had to dress up her younger sister in a kimono.

Kyoko had planned to wear hers later, as it would not take up much time.

As the redhead wrapped the marine blue sash around Sayaka's waist, she thought of her own times as a child. Kyoko had learned about such a skill from her mother.

"Turn around," Kyoko said, as Sayaka listened. Kyoko and Sayaka were both standing, and the former made sure to fasten the sash in a way that was neither too tight, nor too loose. The trick was to get behind the person, wrap the sash around the waist, and use a finger's width of separation at first. Then to slowly tighten it until the wearer's back straightens by reflex.

To feel Sayaka's back straighten, no matter how subtle, Kyoko had to get close. Her arms were around Sayaka's stomach, and her chin inches away from the crook of her neck.

Sayaka was looking in front of her, at nothing in particular. But Kyoko on the other hand, was focused on feeling that subtle reflexive jolt.

And as soon as she did, she stopped tightening the sash. It was tied up neatly at the back, in the form of an elegant ribbon.

As she was about to tell Sayaka that she was done, however, she noticed that they were in a rather odd position. A few strands of hair were carefully tucked behind the girl's ears, so her eyes could be seen by the redhead. In the light of the room, the orbs shone with a strange glow. Her eyes were unfocused, and she had an innocent look on her face.

Kyoko's mind froze as she felt something peculiar.

Something she had never felt before.

Sakura Kyoko felt her heart skip a beat.

And with it, accompanied a sense of warmth that spread from her chest and the pit of her stomach. It was indeed a peculiar thing to feel.

Within moments, she knew what she was feeling. Or at least she strongly suspected it.

She had heard about this. This strange emotion.

 _'Love.'_

But no way, right?

Absolutely no way.

Sayaka was a girl, not a guy. There was no sense in feeling this way.

'Yeah, maybe its 'cuz Sayaka might be lookin' like a guy in thi-NO FUCKIN' WAY SHE LOOKS LIKE A GUY. She's wearin a damn kimono!' Kyoko had exclaimed mentally, rebuking her own thoughts. 'Get yer act right, Kyoko. Now's not the time to be gettin' them weird thoughts.'

With that, Kyoko shakily put some space between her and Sayaka.

"There, its done," she said, clearing her throat of any nervousness. "I'll wear mine now."

Sayaka twirled around and admired her outfit. She exclaimed at how well Kyoko had set it up. But it fell on deaf ears. Kyoko was now in another situation.

Embarrassment.

Yes, a few minutes ago, she was completely fine with getting undressed in front of her friend, but this time, she felt as if she had a lot to lose if she did that. Sayaka was none the wiser about Kyoko's predicament.

The bashfulness which Kyoko had suddenly sprouted, drove home the idea that she might really be feeling some form of attraction towards Sayaka.

After Sayaka hurried out of the room, and down the stairs, presumably to show her outfit off to her mother, Kyoko sighed in relief, finding the privacy of an empty room to be a blessing. She hurried and got undressed, and wore her own pink kimono as fast as she could, taking her time and care with only the fitting of the sash. She was able to do hers with practiced ease. And as soon as she did, she took a deep breath, folded her own clothes, put them on the bed, and walked downstairs to where Sayaka was.

"Wow, you did a splendid job," Sayaka's mother said, eyeing her daugher's dress. She was clearly impressed with the handiwork. "Even I'm not this good, Kyoko-chan."

Kyoko rubbed the back of her head, and chuckled awkwardly.

Sayaka, in the meantime, had her chest puffed up, and her hands in fists on her waist with her chin up. She looked undoubtedly proud and boastful. Kyoko grinned at Sayaka's display of childishness, which set her mind at ease.

 _...Absolutely no way._

* * *

By the time Sayaka's mother had gotten ready, it was almost dusk. The woman dressed herself in casual clothing, as she only had to escort the girls to the shrine. The three of them set off towards the shrine, which wasn't more than a five minute walk away.

Madoka and Mami soon joined them, both of them wearing kimonos of their own.

"I'll head home early, Sayaka," the older Miki said when they were all at the entrance. "So you girls have fun. Don't listen to strangers, and remember to yell 'Fire' as loud as you can if some pervert tries his luck, all right?"

"Mom!", Sayaka blushed and shrieked out. "Don't make it embarrassing."

The mother smirked and waved goodbye to everyone before she walked home.

"So," Mami said to the three girls in front of her. "How about we start?"

* * *

Mami and the girls walked from stall to stall, enjoying various foods. Madoka made sure to sample the taste, and compare notes with Mami, while Sayaka and Kyoko were just there to experience a fun time filling up their stomachs with tasty treats.

After that, they went to the stalls that featured games and offered prizes as rewards.

First they went to a place where one had to shoot down the prize they wanted, with the provided toy rifle. Among the various trinkets, most of which were children's toys, there was a large teddy bear. It had glistening eyes and a red, velvet bow on its neck. It wasn't your average stuffed animal, as it had 'fur' so fluffy that you could die peacefully if you accidentally cuddled it too much.

So, as all sane people would do, the girls had their eyes pinned to that bear. They had an unspoken agreement to let whoever won, keep the prize.

Madoka, Kyoko and Sayaka couldn't shoot down the large, brown teddy bear off the shelf. The bear would budge, but it wouldn't fall. It was an amazing prize, as the three of them thought. But a toy gun could only do so much.

Then came Mami, who walked to the stall with maiden grace, her luxurious kimono elevating the display. Paying 50 yen, she received the gun from the stall owner with both her arms and nodded. Then, in a swift motion, she used the fingers of her right hand to twirl the gun. The light toy rifle looked like something else in the blonde's hand, as if it were a staff in the hands of a juggler.

Suddenly, the twirling stopped and Mami held the gun with one hand, as if she were holding a fencing sword. With her left hand at rest, she aimed at the forehead of the huge bear, and pulled the trigger.

Thrice.

She used up all her turns in one go, and she used it to aim at the same exact spot.

As if to pay testament to the blonde's spectacular display of gun wielding, the bear fell backwards, on its back.

The girls and the stall owner were both in awe. They could feel the goosebumps creep up their necks as they laid witness.

The stall owner, with his mouth still agape, walked to where the bear was, picked it up, and handed it to the blonde. Mami twirled the gun once to make sure the stock of the gun was facing him. The stall owner received the toy rifle, and handed her the bear. In his hands, the rifle looked like a toy again, demotes to its prior inferior status. For the duration of the festival, he didn't talk with anyone.

The blonde was the owner of the stuffed animal, a mere trophy, as per the unspoken agreement between the girls. Nobody dared question the girl about her display of gunmanship.

Except Kyoko.

"So ya like guns huh?"

It was a casual question, shrouded with a certain kind of amazement. The blonde merely smiled.

"I used to try hunting with father when we went camping. After the first few times, I tried mixing it up with some of the things I had learned in the acrobatics classes."

The girls exchanged looks of bewilderment between them. They didn't know which part to question first. The fact that Mami used to hunt, or the much more interesting "acrobatics class". They decided not to ask, as Mami would feel left out and that is not what they wanted her to feel.

So they all ended the discussion with a brief "Oh."

But they were disappointed. All of them wanted a kimono wearing Mami to do a backflip, deep within their hearts.

Like that, they let it go, and carried on walking.

After several minutes, something interesting happened. Sayaka and Kyoko were engrossed in a game of goldfish scooping, and they had become quite competitive. Kyoko was not feeling too self-aware about Sayaka anymore, and she lost herself in the spirit of the festival. Suddenly, the blue haired girl said something that worried the redhead.

"Where did they go?"

Kyoko looked around, scoop and bowl in her hand. She couldn't spot Mami, Madoka, or Nagisa. She set down the things in her hand, stood up, and scanned the crowds again and again, but couldn't find any of them.

This was odd.

They were not supposed to be separated so easily.

Kyoko looked at Sayaka and shook her head.

"Can't see 'em anywhere. Better go to our meetin' spot and give 'em a call."

Sayaka looked up and tried to remember something.

"…did we agree on a meeting spot?"

Kyoko shook her head, her mouth slightly agape. She could sense Sayaka's face evolve into a sense of slight panic.

"Hey, don't worry. We got this, ain't we? Just gotta... umm… go to a high place and spot 'em?"

"But Kyoko," Sayaka frowned. "We are IN the high place. There's no higher ground nearby."

Sayaka took a deep breath and tried to relax. This was supposed to be a time of destressing. And besides, she was practically a grown-up now, or so she told herself. She can't let something like this worry her.

"C'mon," Sayaka grinned, grabbing Kyoko's hand. "Lets do something crazy."

The poor Sakura didn't find solace in that grin. But she did feel her heartbeat get faster. And she knew something bad was bound to happen.

But for the life of her, Sayaka's had was soft and warm and felt so pleasant. She couldn't speak her mind, as it had already been thrown into a state of disarray.

The two walked swiftly, between stalls, and in between the strolls, Sayaka raised her chin and scanned the surroundings, presumably for something interesting.

"Aha!" The blue haired one said. "I think I found something.

Kyoko looked towards where Sayaka's object of interest and frowned. It was a barrel. Well, several barrels. And the person in charge of them was sound asleep in his seat. He had been in an awkward position, with his head drooping towards the side, implying he was sleeping on his job.

"Sayaka, what're ya plannin'?"

"Nothing I'd normally do." Sayaka's grin became wider. Kyoko knew what the barrels were full of, and thus grew worried. Both of them were underage, and Sayaka wasn't supposed to act so rashly, much less drink alcohol. It seemed as if their roles got reversed.

Kyoko watched as Sayaka went behind the man's back sneakily, and poured some of the alcoholic beverage from the tap attached to the barrel, into a cup that was placed nearby.

"Bottom's up!"

Kyoko could only watch as the usually by-the-book Sayaka acted in the manner of a delinquent.

Perhaps she needed to let off some steam? Or maybe something was bothering her, and this was her way of distracting herself.

No. To be honest, Kyoko didn't know. She was dumbfounded, looking at Sayaka let out a cough after drinking one cup.

"Umm, maybe ya shouldn't have more than that." Kyoko said, as she tried to pry away the small container from her hands. "Your mum will get angry."

Sayaka was already gone into a spell. Her composure changed slightly, as her manner of speech.

"Well, damn if I care right now!"

Sayaka ended her outburst with a hiccup, a indication that she couldn't handle her liquor.

Kyoko, from the corner of her eye, saw the shopkeeper move from his place in the seat, with a yawn. The sight drove panic into the redhead's mind, making her grab the cup forcefully, tossing it onto the table.

"We gotta run. Fast." Kyoko whispered loudly, grabbing Sayaka's arm and leaving the vicinity in a haste. Sayaka gasped as she was suddenly jerked away, but started to giggle as she got dragged off by her friend.

When they were a fair distance away from it all, Kyoko stopped. She looked around, noticing that there was a lower density of people in the area. She was quick to realize that the place they were in, was in a clearing near the entrance. Kyoko took a moment to observe Sayaka. The blue haired girl was looking at the redhead with her eyelids partway open.

"Why'd you s-stop?"

Kyoko frowned. She felt somewhat angry and frustrated.

"The fuck were ya thinkin'?" she gripped Sayaka's shoulders and yelled. "That was stupid an' reckless, even for me! What if your mom finds out? What if you'd have gotten caught?"

Sayaka just stared, her eyes forming a slight frown as she didn't have anything to say in return.

Kyoko's eyes started to well up, and her grip on the girl's shoulders tightened.

"Seriously... what came over you today?"

Kyoko looked, as tears started to form in Sayaka's eyes.

Suddenly, everything went silent. No more were the faint murmurs of the distant crowds. It was as if the world around them fell apart, and the only things that could be heard were eachother's voices.

At that moment of unadulterated clarity, the blue haired girl said something in her irregular drunken voice. Something that would change Kyoko's life forever.

"I'm going to die alone... aren't I?"

Kyoko wasn't sure why those words made her stare into those glowing orbs with wide eyes. She was stuck in her place. Before she could respond, a sudden loud explosion of light and sparks went off in the sky.

Fireworks.

It did go off in the distance, but its brilliant light caused Sayaka's eyes to shine even brighter, and her tears to glisten.

Kyoko stared into her eyes, and noticed that Sayaka was smiling, as tears ran down her face. It was wrong. It was warped. It was bitter.

The redhead's chest felt constricted, as she felt a sharp pain inside. She realized that her grip was still on Sayaka's shoulders.

It was a surreal moment for the redhead, as her thoughts began to make no sense. It was as if she was thinking in another language. The booming sounds coming from the fireworks, as well as the occasional bright flashes of light that came from above, drove her closer and closer into what would be a life changing decision for the redhead.

In an instant, everything started to make sense for the young Sakura. She felt a wave of serenity pass through her being, and a calm train of thought occupy her mind. The sounds didn't seem as loud, and her eyes were full of genuine faith.

With that, Kyoko pulled Sayaka into an embrace, with her chin resting in the crook of Sayaka's neck.

She closed her eyes and made sure that Sayaka heard the words she was about to say.

"No you are not dyin' alone," Kyoko said, her voice a loud, warm whisper. "I'm not lettin' you die alone, Miki."

Sayaka started to sob, very quietly, as her arms wrapped around the redhead's back.

Kyoko felt like she wasn't done. So she pulled her in even closer, and spoke more sincerely.

"Someday, someone will fall madly in love with you." Kyoko opened her eyes, and looked up at the sky, at the fireworks going off at the distance. "And that person will be able to give you all that you need. Someone who'll be there during the tough times, and will celebrate all the good things with you. Someone who'll make you forget all the pain and sufferin', and someone who you can rely on. Its gonna be someone amazin', Miki. If I have to, I'll... drag that person from wherever they are hidin', and bring em to you."

The last statement could have been a joke if said in any other circumstance, but the way Kyoko said it, it didn't sound like something to laugh at. Sayaka didn't say anything at first. She just stopped her quiet sobbing, and sniffed, her chin still on the crook of Kyoko's neck.

After a few moments, she spoke.

"D-do you really mean that?"

"More than anything in the world. Cross my heart an' hope to die."

Sayaka didn't say anything this time. She grabbed onto Kyoko a bit tighter, and Kyoko felt the girl's erratic breathing smoothen gradually.

It felt a bit nostalgic to Kyoko, as the two of them stayed like that. It felt like yesterday, when the blue haired girl had found her under the bridge and cried her heart out in the rain.

Kyoko put her hand in Sayaka's hair and gently ran her fingers across the strands. She continued to do so, until the girl calmed down fully, and peeled herself off the embrace.

The redhead didn't say anything afterwards. Sayaka looked down, her eyes a bit red and puffy, with signs of tears on her cheeks. Kyoko used the sleeve of her dress to wipe away the remnant streaks, and her thumbs for the stray tears at the corner of her eyes.

The two of them started to walk, with Kyoko holding Sayaka's hand and leading both of them. Sayaka didn't look up, and blindly followed the redhead. Her other hand fiddled with the fabric of her kimono.

Soon, they did manage to find Mami and Madoka. They were relieved to see Kyoko and Sayaka, and explained that they were searching everywhere for them. Kyoko apologized for being carried away, and made up an excuse about how they wanted to look for a better view of the fireworks and lost the group as a result of being a bit careless. Mami and Madoka seemed to have believed that. But when the two of them tried to ask about Sayaka, Kyoko quickly intervened.

"She isn't feelin' too well. She was worried about us being lost, and wore herself out. Its fine. I can take her home."

Mami and Madoka both knew that this was not true, as they knew Sayaka. But seeing that Sayaka gripped Kyoko's hand a bit more firmly after the conversation, the two of them knew to not pry. Something had clearly happened.

The two girls' looks made Kyoko realize that they knew Kyoko was not being upfront about it.

"Just let me take her home. Its goin' to be fine."

Madoka gave Kyoko a stern look.

"You sure you two don't want us to come with?"

Kyoko was a bit taken aback by Madoka's precision. It was as if she read between several lines. That was a bit scary.

"Yeah. I can handle it. Trust me."

With that, Mami and Madoka reluctantly let the two of them go. Mami insisted that they should all leave together, but Madoka said that it was necessary. Kyoko didn't stay long enough to hear the rest of Mami and Madoka's conversation. But it wasn't important. What was important, was taking Sayaka home.

Kyoko walked down a flight of stairs, and away from the site of the festival, while holding Sayaka's hand, who followed. It was odd for the blue haired teen to not talk for so long. The streets were quiet, and the lamps were on, the only sound they could hear were their own footsteps.

"If your mom sees that you're drunk, the first thing she'll do is blame the homeless delinquent."

Kyoko's tone was laced with humor, and she said that to lighten the mood. She didn't want Sayaka's mother to have a bad impression of her, but at the same time, she didn't want any other opinion get in the way of her current task.

Sayaka didn't laugh. She didn't speak. She just looked down, with a drowsy look. 'Maybe she's just tired,' Kyoko thought.

"Don't worry," Kyoko continued, her eyes ahead, as the two grew closer to Sayaka's house. "I'll tell your mother that I dared you or somethin'. I don't mind. I don't want you getting into trouble."

Sayaka didn't speak this time either.

When the two got to the Miki household, Kyoko straightened the hair on Sayaka's head and wiped away any trace of tears on her face.

"Just take some time off, okay? And if you have a headache, drink lots'a water."

Sayaka took Kyoko's hand in hers, and rested her cheek on her palm. Her eyes were glassy, and her voice was uncharacteristically defenseless.

"Your hands are warm."

Kyoko's heart was beating erratically. A warmth spread around her body, accumulating at her chest and her stomach. She could feel her face and ears become warm as well.

The position they were in did nothing to help Kyoko's mindset.

Kyoko had to forcefully take her hand off Sayaka's, and ring the doorbell.

When Sayaka's mother opened the door, she was a bit surprised.

"You two are home early." Her eyes darted towards Sayaka and frowned. "Sweetie?"

"...I had some alcohol without thinking, and I don't feel so good." Sayaka grabbed the fabric of her kimono with both hands, and stared directly into her mother's eyes. "Kyoko *hicc* warned me not to, but I didn't listen, a-and I made her come with me... Don't get mad at her, mom."

Kyoko stared wide eyed at Sayaka, but her gaze softened as she realized that this was the Sayaka she was used to. Honest, and straightforward. Even if that honesty came with drunken slurred speech...

Sayaka's mother sighed, pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath with her eyes closed, before she spoke.

"Sayaka, go to your room, get changed, drink a glass of water and get some rest."

Sayaka didn't hesitate. She kept her gaze down and walked her way into the house. She gave one last look at Kyoko and murmured a silent 'thank you' with her eyes half open. Then she went upstairs slowly. Kyoko blushed a bit at that gesture.

When Sayaka was out of earshot, Kyoko felt nervous.

"Sometimes, I think I don't know her at all," the mother said, looking at Kyoko. "Its okay, Kyoko-chan. I don't blame you for anything. I know she can get a bit reckless at times. Maybe its just a phase... Thank you for bringing her with you."

Kyoko was unprepared to have Sayaka's mother smile at her. She thought she was getting blamed, so this was a rather surprising turn of events.

"I-its no problem, ma-am," Kyoko said, awkwardly. She paused to regain her composure. She took a deep breath, and bowed down as much as she could, much to Mrs. Miki's surprise. "Please don't be too hard on her. She's going through some tough times at... school, and acted all strange. She isn't like this normally, and she's actually a good person. So please don't get too angry on her..."

Mrs. Miki looked at the bowed down Kyoko, with wide eyed, and after a moment of pause, she finished processing Kyoko's words, and started to giggle.

"You're a strange one, aren't you?" She said in between fits of laughter. "She's my little girl. I know how she is like. Don't worry, I won't be too harsh on her. She's a teenager, and teenagers are stupid. I'm just happy that she was with her friends, and all her friends were level headed." Kyoko got up from her bow, and looked bewildered. "Especially you. I must say, I never expected anyone to go this far for a friend."

Kyoko blushed bright red, and felt uneasy. She was partially happy about the fact that 'Sayaka wouldn't get her ass whopped', but she was embarrassed at how Sayaka's mother was toying with her.

Mrs. Miki felt giddy at how adorable Kyoko was being, out of embarrassment. It made her want to tease her more. But she didn't do so, as Sayaka would have had a fit if she knew.

Kyoko recovered somewhat from her state of bashfulness, and spoke again.

"I forgot to ask her, but if its okay, can I please come check on her tomorrow? I can return the kimono too"

"Not at all dear. I am sure she would be happy to see you. I'll be delighted as well. Oh, and please keep the kimono. This one fits you beautifully, Kyoko-chan."

Kyoko tried to insist that she was going to give it back the next day, but the woman was adamant. She said things like it fit her hair and eyes.

Kyoko knew it was not possible to win, so she accepted defeat, and said her goodbyes before walking away.

As the redhead in a pink kimono walked down the road towards a bridge, she didn't see any human being in her way. She heard nothing either, with the exception of just the static discharge of the street-side lamps and her own footsteps.

With every step she took, a thought solidified in her mind.

'A promise is a promise, Miki. I hope you'll be okay with someone like me.'

She felt all sorts of thoughts climb their way into her mind as she walked to her home under the bridge. And she had all the time in the world to go through the thoughts, and sort out how she felt. And in all ways possible, she could confirm it.

Sakura Kyoko had fallen for Miki Sayaka.

And it was just the beginning.

* * *

(Present day)

Kyoko opened her eyes, to the sight of the same ceiling fan she had dozed off to. It was still spinning. She got up, and turned it off. One look at the clock verified that she had been asleep for 8 hours, meaning she had no more time to sleep. It was already 5 in the morning, and she could hear the birds chirping outside.

It was a long day ahead of her, and she had to be in her best shape. Within 6, she had a job to deliver the local newspapers, and at 7:30, she had to work at a ramen shop, and not leave till afternoon. Afterwards, she had to work a 3 hour shift at a family restaurant, and only in the evening, was she done with all her work. She had the luxury of eating two meals during the day. One at the ramen shop, one at the family restaurant. It was part of the working deal.

Kyoko brushed her teeth, finished her bathroom duties, washed her face, tied up her hair as neatly as she could with her hands, and after drinking some water, she was ready to head out. She gave one final look at the inside of her apartment as she closed the lights.

Then she shut the door and walked away. 

**-(End of Chapter 17)-**

* * *

 _Hello everyone. I have been out for a while, because I started college. And a LOT has happened. I believe the last few months have been a rollercoaster. I'm sort of in love with someone, and there's that. Its been a wild ride, believe me. I wouldn't bore you with the details, but I can say that I have time to upload now. Sorry about the absence, but I didn't leave yet._

 _This chapter may seem unpolished, because it is. I didn't have time to proofread it much.  
._

 _Take Care  
DSH99_


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